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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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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: rock · racket · drill · present · branch · arm · game · spell

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. rock — a stone
  5. branch — a division
  6. present — the time now
  7. drill — the tool
  8. spell — magic
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. drill — army training
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. present — there
  14. spell — letters
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. spell — a short time
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — wild animals
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. present — a gift
  22. game — a match
  23. drill — a practice
  24. rock — music

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