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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 · leaves · branch · club · lash · bore · deal · mate

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  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. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a partner
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. mate — a friend
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. bore — to tire
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. deal — to handle
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. branch — a division
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. club — a group
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. mate — to breed
  23. leaves — lets stay
  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