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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bear — the animal
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. branch — a division
  11. net — after costs
  12. game — wild animals
  13. club — for dancing
  14. game — a match
  15. club — a group
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. track — a song
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. net — for catching
  20. club — for golf
  21. track — to keep track
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. kick — in football
  24. net — in sport

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