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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. object — to protest
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — for catching
  5. rock — a stone
  6. court — for sport
  7. race — a contest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. object — a thing
  10. object — an aim
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. net — in sport
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rock — music
  19. race — humankind
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. net — after costs
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. race — the arms race

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