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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. branch — a division
  10. fine — high quality
  11. mug — a cup
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. fine — all right
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. mug — a face
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. hand — part of the body

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