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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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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: snap · kid · racket · capital · rest · bay · branch · cue

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. rest — a break
  5. cue — for pool
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. rest — what's left
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. snap — to click
  13. cue — a hint
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. capital — money
  16. rest — what's left
  17. capital — a city
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. cue — a signal
  22. kid — child
  23. branch — a division
  24. kid — to tease

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