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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. current — electric
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. ball — a great time
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. bat — the animal
  15. ball — a dance
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. current — of water
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. board — a committee
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. branch — a division
  23. board — to get on
  24. ball — a round shape

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