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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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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: stick · key · racket · branch · kid · fan · rash · ground

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. kid — child
  6. rash — hasty
  7. ground — crushed
  8. ground — a position
  9. ground — the earth
  10. rash — a series
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. branch — a division
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — for a lock
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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