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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of a king
  4. key — the most important part
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. key — in music
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. cell — in biology
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. object — an aim
  14. court — for sport
  15. key — for a lock
  16. court — of law
  17. march — the month
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. object — to protest
  20. march — music
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. object — a thing
  24. cell — a phone

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