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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: pop · branch · net · ball · kick · squash · patient · mate

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. branch — a division
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — in sport
  7. mate — a partner
  8. net — after costs
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. squash — to crush
  11. pop — to visit
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. ball — a dance
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. pop — soda
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mate — to breed
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. pop — music
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kick — in football

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