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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. swing — music
  3. spring — a coil
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. spring — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. branch — a division
  9. swing — to play on
  10. mug — to rob
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — goods
  13. mug — a cup
  14. stock — shares
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. spring — the season
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — in golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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