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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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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: racket · squash · bay · branch · vault · game · rest · net

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. squash — to crush
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. rest — a break
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. game — wild animals
  8. net — for catching
  9. squash — the sport
  10. net — in sport
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. vault — a safe
  14. net — after costs
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. rest — what's left
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. rest — what's left

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