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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 116 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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. branch — a division
  2. kid — child
  3. staff — employees
  4. kid — to tease
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. rock — a stone
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rock — music
  10. present — a gift
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. staff — a stick
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. staff — employees
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. club — for golf
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. present — there
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. racket — for tennis
  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