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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. court — for sport
  4. mate — a friend
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of a king
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mate — to breed
  9. drill — a practice
  10. perch — the fish
  11. court — of law
  12. toast — bread
  13. swing — to play on
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. mate — a partner
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. branch — a division
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. swing — in golf
  24. swing — music

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