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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. swing — music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. net — after costs
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. net — in sport
  9. toast — bread
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a match
  12. game — wild animals
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. swing — in golf
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. branch — a division
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. swing — to play on
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. game — a kind of play

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