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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: key · rush · mine · racket · branch · mark · pitcher · lash

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mark — a trace
  4. key — for a lock
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. mine — for digging
  8. rush — hurry
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. key — in music
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. mark — a grade
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. pitcher — a jug

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