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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: branch · hide · net · fine · racket · foot · saw · shower

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. branch — a division
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. net — for catching
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. shower — rain
  17. net — in sport
  18. saw — the tool
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — the tool
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — after costs
  23. fine — high quality
  24. foot — a measure

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