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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 120 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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. bank — for money
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. bank — for money
  7. court — of law
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. kick — in football
  10. court — for sport
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. net — in sport
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — a permit
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. branch — a division
  24. coach — a trainer

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