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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. branch — a division
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bark — to shout
  9. mate — a friend
  10. chip — for betting
  11. present — there
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mate — to breed
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — the time now
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mate — a partner
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. chip — to eat

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