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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: chest · mug · mate · jam · mine · racket · ball · branch

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mate — a friend
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — to rob
  6. mug — a face
  7. mine — for digging
  8. ball — a dance
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mug — a cup
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — to breed
  15. chest — of your body
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. chest — of your body
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — a division
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. chest — a box
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. racket — for tennis

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