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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. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. degree — from a university
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — for sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bank — for money
  9. mate — a friend
  10. bank — for money
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of a king
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mate — to breed
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. degree — temperature
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. court — of law
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cell — in biology

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