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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. rush — hurry
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bat — the animal
  7. branch — a division
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. row — a line
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. club — a group
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bass — low music
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. row — to paddle
  24. racket — for tennis

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