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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: branch · racket · bowl · deal · pound · chair · prune · mate

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. mate — a partner
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. deal — to handle
  6. mate — a friend
  7. prune — to trim
  8. chair — a leader
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. branch — a division
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. mate — to breed
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pound — a weight
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. prune — to trim
  24. deal — a big deal

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