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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pit — in a race
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. perch — the fish
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. branch — a division
  9. march — the month
  10. march — music
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. firm — a company
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bat — the animal
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pit — a hole
  19. firm — steady
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. firm — decided
  22. bear — the animal
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bat — in an idiom

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