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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. bore — to drill
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cue — for pool
  8. race — humankind
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. file — a tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. file — a line of people
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. file — a document
  19. race — a contest
  20. cue — a signal
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. race — the arms race
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. court — of a king

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