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

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. firm — decided
  3. bound — obliged
  4. file — a line of people
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — steady
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — a company
  11. branch — a division
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. court — for sport
  16. mark — a grade
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bound — tied together
  19. file — a tool
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. bound — certain
  23. file — a document
  24. court — of law

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