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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. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. swing — in golf
  7. wake — a trail
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. branch — a division
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. court — for sport
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. saw — the tool
  18. swing — to play on
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. court — of a king

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