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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.

Words on the sheet
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: racket · branch · mouse · fan · rock · court · temple · hand

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. hand — in cards
  7. rock — a stone
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. court — of law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. hand — help
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. rock — music
  21. branch — a division
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. racket — a loud noise

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