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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. roll — a cake
  8. net — after costs
  9. suit — to fit
  10. net — for catching
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. suit — in cards
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. net — in sport
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. branch — a division
  24. roll — a list

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