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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a signal
  4. court — of law
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. spell — magic
  8. board — a committee
  9. rest — a break
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. spell — a short time
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. cue — a hint
  14. rest — what's left
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. spell — letters
  17. board — to get on
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. branch — a division
  22. court — of a king
  23. branch — of a bank
  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