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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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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: branch · court · bowl · cue · date · pop · lash · net

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pop — music
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — in sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. net — after costs
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. date — the fruit
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. court — of law
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. court — for sport
  14. cue — a hint
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of a king
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pop — to visit
  24. cue — for pool

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