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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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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: fine · net · branch · pound · clip · deal · kick · racket

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. deal — to handle
  3. net — in sport
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. branch — a division
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. kick — in football
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. clip — a video
  14. pound — a weight
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. clip — for paper
  18. fine — all right
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. clip — to cut
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. deal — a big deal

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