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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. net — for catching
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. drill — the tool
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. rock — a stone
  10. net — after costs
  11. cap — a hat
  12. present — a gift
  13. net — in sport
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cap — of ice
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. cap — a lid
  19. drill — army training
  20. branch — a division
  21. rock — music
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. vault — a safe
  24. present — the time now

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