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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. branch — a division
  3. capital — money
  4. game — a match
  5. pass — a permit
  6. club — a group
  7. game — wild animals
  8. cue — a signal
  9. lean — thin
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. court — for sport
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. club — for dancing
  17. cue — for pool
  18. capital — a city
  19. club — for golf
  20. cue — a hint
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. court — of law
  24. game — a kind of play

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