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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: date · game · chest · leaves · branch · net · rock · mark

  1. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. date — the fruit
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rock — a stone
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. chest — of your body
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. chest — a box
  14. mark — a trace
  15. branch — a division
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. chest — of your body
  19. net — in sport
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. rock — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. game — wild animals
  24. net — after costs

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