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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ground — a position
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — for light
  11. wound — an injury
  12. race — humankind
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. wound — an injury
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. ground — the earth
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. race — the arms race
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ground — crushed
  24. race — a contest

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