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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. land — a country
  4. net — in sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. land — to come down
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. net — after costs
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. swing — in golf
  16. swing — music
  17. swing — to play on
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. vault — a safe
  20. bass — the fish
  21. cap — a hat
  22. bass — low music
  23. net — for catching
  24. land — ground

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