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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. hand — help
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bat — the animal
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. net — after costs
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. net — in sport
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. branch — a division
  16. board — to get on
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. net — for catching
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. board — a committee
  22. foot — a measure
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bat — in an idiom

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