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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. staff — employees
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. stock — shares
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. stock — goods
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. sharp — clever
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. court — of law
  19. staff — employees
  20. row — a line
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. staff — a stick
  23. branch — a division
  24. safe — a strongbox

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