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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. can — to be able to
  3. court — for sport
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. court — of a king
  7. can — a tin
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. sharp — clever
  11. can — a tin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. drill — a practice
  14. drill — the tool
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — a break
  17. cue — for pool
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pass — a permit
  21. cue — a signal
  22. court — of law
  23. cue — a hint
  24. sharp — exactly

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