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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. court — of law
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. bear — the animal
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. scale — size or range
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — for light
  15. bulb — for light
  16. court — of a king
  17. branch — a division
  18. scale — in music

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