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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
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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: rock · branch · row · coach · mouse · racket · land · fall

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rock — music
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. fall — to drop
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. row — a line
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. land — a country
  16. land — to come down
  17. fall — the season
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. fall — to drop
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. land — ground
  22. rock — a stone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. rock — to move gently

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