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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: key · branch · cue · mate · racket · content · spring · dip

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spring — of water
  4. key — in music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. key — the most important part
  9. content — happy
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cue — a signal
  13. spring — the season
  14. branch — a division
  15. spring — a coil
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. mate — a friend
  19. content — the amount
  20. cue — for pool
  21. cue — a hint
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. key — for a lock
  24. dip — to sink

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