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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: net · degree · coach · branch · racket · lie · fork · hide

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. net — after costs
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. degree — from a university
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. degree — temperature
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. net — for catching
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. degree — an amount
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. branch — a division
  23. lie — to recline
  24. net — in sport

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