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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. staff — employees
  4. branch — a division
  5. court — of law
  6. land — a country
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. staff — a stick
  11. can — a tin
  12. can — to be able to
  13. land — to come down
  14. staff — employees
  15. can — a tin
  16. land — ground
  17. rush — hurry
  18. court — for sport

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