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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: bank · kick · rock · racket · mate · chest · scale · branch

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. chest — a box
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. branch — a division
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bank — for money
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bank — for money
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. chest — of your body
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mate — to breed
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — music
  18. chest — of your body
  19. kick — in football
  20. scale — in music
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. scale — size or range
  24. kick — a thrill

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