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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: court · foot · pit · key · net · branch · trunk · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of law
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. net — after costs
  11. key — in music
  12. key — for a lock
  13. net — for catching
  14. net — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. foot — a measure
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. court — of a king
  19. pit — a hole
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. court — for sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. key — the most important part

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