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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. pop — music
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. deal — to handle
  8. mate — a friend
  9. pop — soda
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. court — for sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. drill — army training
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. pop — to visit
  19. branch — a division
  20. drill — the tool
  21. drill — a practice
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. mate — a partner

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