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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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bank — of a river
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bank — for money
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bank — for money
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. club — for golf
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. club — a group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. branch — a division
  18. bark — to shout
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. wind — moving air
  23. scale — in music
  24. club — for dancing

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