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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.

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: foot · mark · bear · branch · nail · pitcher · club · kick

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — for dancing
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. bear — the animal
  11. foot — a measure
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — a division
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bear — the animal
  19. kick — in football
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. club — a group
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — a trace
  24. branch — of a tree

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