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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: rush · sharp · scale · hand · branch · racket · foot · fan

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. hand — help
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — clever
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. rush — hurry
  14. foot — a measure
  15. scale — size or range
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fan — a supporter

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