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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. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bore — to drill
  3. squash — to crush
  4. present — a gift
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rash — a series
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. present — there
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. present — the time now
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. rash — hasty
  15. squash — the sport
  16. bear — the animal
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a ring
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. band — a music group
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. branch — of a bank

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