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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 124 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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ball — a dance
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. ball — a great time
  7. branch — a division
  8. bank — of a river
  9. net — after costs
  10. bank — for money
  11. club — a group
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. bank — for money
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. club — for golf
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — in sport
  23. date — the fruit
  24. net — for catching

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