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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. cue — a signal
  5. net — for catching
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. club — for golf
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. net — in sport
  12. club — for dancing
  13. bat — the animal
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. cue — for pool
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. club — a group
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cue — a hint
  22. bat — for baseball
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. branch — of a bank

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