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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — of a king
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. bore — to tire
  11. club — a group
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — for golf
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. firm — steady
  16. tear — from crying
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of law
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. club — for dancing
  21. firm — decided
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. tear — to rip

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