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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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. court — of a king
  3. court — of law
  4. land — to come down
  5. band — a music group
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. fall — the season
  9. saw — the tool
  10. key — the most important part
  11. land — ground
  12. key — in music
  13. branch — a division
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. saw — the tool
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. court — for sport
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. fall — to drop
  21. band — a ring
  22. land — a country
  23. key — for a lock
  24. fall — to drop

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