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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: bat · temple · club · suit · track · content · branch · saw

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bat — the animal
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — in cards
  5. track — to keep track
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. suit — clothes
  8. content — happy
  9. track — a path
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. club — for golf
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. content — the amount
  16. saw — the tool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. branch — a division
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. track — a song
  21. suit — to fit
  22. club — for dancing
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. saw — the tool

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