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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. pop — music
  6. branch — a division
  7. rock — music
  8. pop — soda
  9. prune — to trim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. rock — a stone
  12. club — a group
  13. field — for sport
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to bend
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pop — to visit
  24. club — for golf

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