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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.

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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: file · coach · shower · dip · ball · mug · game · branch

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. file — a tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. file — a line of people
  8. dip — to sink
  9. shower — rain
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. game — a match
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — to rob
  14. ball — a great time
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. mug — a face
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a dance
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. mug — a cup
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — wild animals

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