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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 · net · pit · clip · mug · wind · game · bore

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. net — for catching
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. clip — a video
  9. pit — a hole
  10. net — after costs
  11. branch — a division
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pit — in a race
  14. game — wild animals
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — moving air
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. mug — a cup
  19. clip — for paper
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. net — in sport
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — to drill
  24. clip — to cut

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