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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: net · branch · present · firm · cell · craft · file · racket

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. present — a gift
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — decided
  6. firm — steady
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. present — there
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. file — a tool
  12. net — in sport
  13. present — the time now
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a skill
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. firm — a company
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. branch — a division
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. file — a document
  22. net — after costs
  23. file — a line of people
  24. cell — a phone

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