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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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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: kid · toast · rock · branch · club · net · tear · arm

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. club — for golf
  4. net — after costs
  5. tear — to rip
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. club — for dancing
  10. branch — a division
  11. kid — to tease
  12. rock — music
  13. club — a group
  14. kid — child
  15. tear — from crying
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. tear — from crying
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. net — for catching
  20. net — in sport
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. toast — bread
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. branch — of a tree

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