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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. branch — a division
  3. last — final
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. club — for golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — to go on
  16. staff — a stick
  17. club — a group
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. last — finally
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. date — the fruit
  24. date — on the calendar

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