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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: bowl · suit · bank · stick · racket · branch · staff · clip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. clip — a video
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. staff — employees
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. staff — employees
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. branch — a division
  11. suit — in cards
  12. bank — for money
  13. staff — a stick
  14. clip — to cut
  15. bank — of a river
  16. suit — to fit
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bank — for money
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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