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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. branch — a division
  4. stock — shares
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a hole
  12. stock — goods
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. chair — a leader
  15. game — wild animals
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. saw — the tool
  19. saw — the tool
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — a match
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. racket — for tennis

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