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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. bulb — for light
  3. court — of law
  4. drill — a practice
  5. court — for sport
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. bass — the fish
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. drill — army training
  11. cap — of ice
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. cap — a hat
  14. court — of a king
  15. bass — low music
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. drill — the tool
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. game — a match
  24. branch — a division

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