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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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. spell — magic
  3. stand — to bear
  4. spell — letters
  5. key — in music
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — a division
  9. board — to get on
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. spell — a short time
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. key — for a lock
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. court — for sport

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