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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. dip — to sink
  5. staff — employees
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. saw — the tool
  8. rock — music
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bank — for money
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. staff — employees
  14. saw — the tool
  15. wound — an injury
  16. branch — a division
  17. staff — a stick
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. court — of a king

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