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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hand — in cards
  8. club — for dancing
  9. band — a music group
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. club — a group
  14. branch — a division
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — the animal
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. club — for golf
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. hand — help

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