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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: foot · branch · racket · mug · bore · nail · cabinet · date

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. foot — a measure
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. bore — to tire
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. bore — to drill
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. mug — to rob
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. date — the fruit
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. branch — a division

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