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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 chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — for sport
  4. cue — for pool
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. court — of a king
  7. key — the most important part
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. cue — a signal
  12. rest — a break
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cue — a hint
  15. key — in music
  16. rule — government
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. ball — a great time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — the animal
  22. rule — a law
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. court — of law

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