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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 120 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: mate · branch · squash · racket · rash · net · staff · band

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. squash — to crush
  4. staff — employees
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. staff — employees
  7. branch — a division
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — after costs
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. net — for catching
  14. squash — the sport
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — a friend
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. band — a ring
  20. net — in sport
  21. band — a music group
  22. staff — a stick
  23. mate — to breed
  24. rash — hasty

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