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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.

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: arm · racket · rush · branch · net · perch · mine · foot

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. branch — a division
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. perch — the fish
  10. net — in sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. net — after costs
  13. mine — for digging
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. net — for catching
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — an explosive

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