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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — a division
  6. field — for sport
  7. field — farmland
  8. suit — clothes
  9. suit — to fit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. rash — a series
  13. wound — an injury
  14. rash — hasty
  15. suit — in cards
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. field — a subject
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. board — to get on
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — for sport
  24. wound — an injury

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