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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 120 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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cap — a lid
  3. rest — what's left
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bound — obliged
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bass — the fish
  13. court — for sport
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. cap — of ice
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bass — low music
  20. bound — certain
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. pit — a hole
  23. rest — a break
  24. branch — a division

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