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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
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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: rash · mug · hand · racket · rest · net · branch · perch

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. net — in sport
  3. hand — in cards
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. perch — the fish
  6. rest — what's left
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rest — a break
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rest — what's left
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rash — a series
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. net — for catching
  23. branch — a division
  24. mug — a face

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