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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 cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. bank — of a river
  4. net — for catching
  5. scale — in music
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. branch — a division
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. rock — a stone
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. net — after costs
  13. face — part of the head
  14. face — to confront
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. rock — music
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — size or range
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. face — to point toward
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  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