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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a match
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. branch — a division
  6. stock — shares
  7. firm — decided
  8. stock — goods
  9. club — a group
  10. court — of law
  11. club — for dancing
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. court — for sport
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. club — for golf
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — of a king
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. firm — steady

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