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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — obliged
  4. chest — a box
  5. chest — of your body
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. dip — to sink
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. track — a song
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. chest — of your body
  14. track — a path
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. track — to keep track
  18. branch — a division
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bound — certain
  24. fan — to cool the air

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