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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rock — music
  10. branch — a division
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — to paddle
  19. date — the fruit
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. row — a line
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of a tree

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