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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. pop — to visit
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. game — wild animals
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. sharp — clever
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pop — music
  11. pop — soda
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. cap — a hat
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. game — a match
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. cap — a lid
  22. branch — a division
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — hurry

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