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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — after costs
  9. branch — a division
  10. net — for catching
  11. pass — a permit
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. kid — child
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kid — to tease
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. date — the fruit
  23. kick — in football
  24. mate — a friend

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