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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. spring — a coil
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. rest — what's left
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. spring — the season
  9. toast — bread
  10. branch — a division
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rest — a break
  15. fork — in a road
  16. bore — to tire
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spring — of water
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bore — gave birth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com