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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stem — to come from
  3. bore — to tire
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — a division
  6. band — a music group
  7. net — in sport
  8. club — for golf
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. club — a group
  12. net — after costs
  13. ball — a dance
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. club — for dancing
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. net — for catching
  19. band — a ring
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ball — a great time

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