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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. track — to keep track
  3. branch — a division
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chip — for betting
  7. roll — a cake
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. bass — low music
  10. track — a path
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. track — a song
  15. roll — a list
  16. bass — the fish
  17. key — in music
  18. net — for catching
  19. key — for a lock
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — to eat

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