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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. firm — steady
  4. cue — for pool
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. cue — a signal
  9. season — of the year
  10. firm — a company
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. branch — a division
  16. bark — to shout
  17. court — of a king
  18. season — in sport
  19. cue — a hint
  20. firm — decided
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. foot — a measure
  24. court — for sport

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