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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 116 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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. field — for sport
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mug — a cup
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. field — farmland
  12. bank — for money
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. row — a line
  15. bank — of a river
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bank — for money
  18. spell — letters
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a face
  22. field — a subject
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. branch — a division

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