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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 116 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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. band — a ring
  7. swing — in golf
  8. wind — moving air
  9. swing — to play on
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. band — a music group
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. firm — a company
  19. swing — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. wind — moving air
  24. kick — in football

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