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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. ball — a dance
  4. net — in sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. squash — the sport
  8. net — after costs
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. date — the fruit
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. squash — to crush
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. ground — crushed
  17. branch — a division
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ground — a position
  20. bore — to tire
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. ground — the earth
  23. net — for catching
  24. bore — to drill

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