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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: racket · rash · pit · last · mark · calf · branch · sharp

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. mark — a grade
  8. last — to go on
  9. pit — a hole
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pit — in a race
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. last — final
  14. mark — a trace
  15. sharp — clever
  16. branch — a division
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. last — finally
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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