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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: branch · mark · field · row · bay · fan · temple · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. row — a line
  3. field — farmland
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. branch — a division
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mark — a trace
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. field — for sport
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. field — a subject
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. mark — a grade
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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