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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. mate — to breed
  5. court — of law
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chip — to eat
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. court — for sport
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bank — for money
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bank — for money
  22. perch — the fish
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. bank — of a river

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