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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: jam · mate · drill · wind · ball · branch · racket · stem

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. drill — a practice
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. drill — army training
  9. ball — a great time
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — a friend
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. branch — a division
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. drill — the tool
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wind — moving air
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. stem — to come from
  21. wind — moving air
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. ball — a dance

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