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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. court — of law
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. swing — in golf
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bore — to drill
  9. swing — to play on
  10. race — humankind
  11. game — wild animals
  12. race — a contest
  13. plane — a tool
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. game — a match
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. race — the arms race
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. swing — music
  24. bore — to tire

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