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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: bore · present · racket · pitcher · bank · branch · wind · ball

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. present — there
  3. present — a gift
  4. bank — for money
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. wind — moving air
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — a division
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. present — the time now
  21. bank — for money
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bank — of a river

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