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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: mine · branch · object · racket · stock · game · drill · rush

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — wild animals
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. drill — a practice
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. game — a match
  7. object — a thing
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. drill — army training
  10. rush — hurry
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. branch — a division
  13. mine — for digging
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. object — to protest
  16. stock — shares
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. stock — goods
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. object — an aim
  24. mine — belonging to me

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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