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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 116 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. cold — an illness
  5. court — of law
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. wake — a trail
  9. current — happening now
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. branch — a division
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. court — of a king
  17. current — electric
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — for sport
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — of water
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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