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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 120 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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. rock — music
  8. branch — a division
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bank — for money
  11. degree — an amount
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. wound — an injury
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. degree — from a university
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. wound — an injury
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. degree — temperature
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. racket — a loud noise

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