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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: net · squash · mug · arm · ball · jam · branch · racket

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. net — for catching
  11. mug — a face
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. net — after costs
  14. squash — to crush
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — a cup
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. squash — the sport
  22. net — in sport
  23. ball — a great time
  24. mug — to rob

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