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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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 bank
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. game — wild animals
  5. game — a match
  6. mate — a friend
  7. bore — to drill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. content — the amount
  11. stem — to come from
  12. content — happy
  13. bore — to tire
  14. branch — a division
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mate — to breed
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mate — a partner
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. suit — to fit
  24. stem — of a plant

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