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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 120 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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. game — wild animals
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stand — to bear
  10. capital — money
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. game — a match
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. capital — a city
  21. branch — a division
  22. bark — to shout
  23. lie — to recline
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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