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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: key · clip · branch · content · racket · squash · board · club

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. squash — to crush
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. content — the amount
  8. club — for golf
  9. squash — the sport
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. clip — a video
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. club — a group
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. clip — for paper
  17. key — for a lock
  18. club — for dancing
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. board — to get on
  21. content — happy
  22. clip — to cut
  23. board — a committee
  24. branch — a division

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