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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. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. scale — in music
  3. mate — to breed
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. mate — a partner
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fine — all right
  20. rush — hurry
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. scale — size or range
  24. nail — on a finger

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