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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 120 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: racket · bowl · foot · branch · rest · bulb · track · patient

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. foot — a measure
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. bulb — for light
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. branch — a division
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. track — a path
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. track — to keep track
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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