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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. branch — a division
  7. ball — a great time
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. vault — a safe
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. net — after costs
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. mate — a friend
  14. ball — a dance
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — in sport
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. bass — low music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. net — for catching
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bass — the fish

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