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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 hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bear — the animal
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. rock — a stone
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. branch — a division
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. wake — a trail
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. wound — an injury
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. wound — an injury
  18. mark — a trace
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. bear — the animal

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