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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.

Make a worksheet

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: content · branch · racket · staff · track · court · band · temple

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. band — a music group
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. content — happy
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — a stick
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. track — a path
  13. track — a song
  14. staff — employees
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. band — a ring
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — for sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. content — the amount

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