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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: ball · stick · racket · toast · branch · nail · stock · degree

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — bread
  5. stock — goods
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. degree — an amount
  12. branch — a division
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. ball — a dance
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. degree — temperature
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. stock — shares
  24. toast — the most admired

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