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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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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: branch · stand · racket · cue · bass · key · bat · kid

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. stand — on your feet
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bat — the animal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. kid — child
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. key — in music
  8. cue — a hint
  9. bass — low music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cue — a signal
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. stand — to bear
  17. cue — for pool
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bass — the fish
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — a division
  23. key — the most important part
  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