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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. row — to paddle
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — for sport
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. face — part of the head
  9. face — to confront
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. row — a line
  16. face — to point toward
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. mark — a grade
  20. mark — a trace
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of law
  24. chair — a professorship

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