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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. court — for sport
  13. swing — to play on
  14. swing — in golf
  15. row — to paddle
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. prune — to trim
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. swing — music
  20. row — a line
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ruler — a monarch

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