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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. pop — soda
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. branch — a division
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. plane — a tool
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. suit — in cards
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. pop — music
  12. court — of law
  13. suit — clothes
  14. pop — to visit
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. court — of a king
  17. suit — to fit
  18. drill — army training
  19. drill — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. drill — a practice
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. court — for sport

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