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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.

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: club · capital · ball · object · file · stand · racket · branch

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. object — to protest
  3. capital — money
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. file — a document
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. club — for dancing
  12. file — a tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. object — an aim
  15. club — for golf
  16. object — a thing
  17. ball — a dance
  18. branch — a division
  19. club — a group
  20. capital — a city
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ball — a great time
  23. file — a line of people
  24. stand — to bear

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