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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 124 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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. net — after costs
  5. bore — to tire
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rule — government
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of law
  14. net — in sport
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. net — for catching
  21. court — of a king
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. ground — a position
  24. branch — of a bank

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