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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. club — a group
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. club — for golf
  8. net — in sport
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. net — after costs
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. lie — to recline
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — a division
  18. bat — the animal
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. net — for catching

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