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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. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a partner
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. capital — a city
  8. capital — money
  9. branch — a division
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. court — for sport
  13. rock — a stone
  14. court — of law
  15. rock — music
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. saw — the tool
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wave — with your hand

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