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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: mug · file · racket · arm · clip · branch · key · bay

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. key — for a lock
  6. clip — a video
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. key — in music
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. clip — for paper
  13. branch — a division
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. file — a line of people
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. clip — to cut
  18. key — the most important part
  19. file — a document
  20. mug — a face
  21. file — a tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. mug — to rob
  24. racket — for tennis

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