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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
468
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: vault · branch · date · mug · net · capital · racket · wave

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — the fruit
  5. capital — a city
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. net — after costs
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. mug — a face
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — for catching
  15. capital — money
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. mug — a cup
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. net — in sport
  22. branch — a division
  23. vault — a safe
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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