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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. court — for sport
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — to protest
  8. chest — of your body
  9. chest — a box
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. branch — a division
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. drill — the tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. object — an aim
  18. mark — a grade
  19. foot — a measure
  20. drill — a practice
  21. court — of law
  22. mark — a trace
  23. chest — of your body
  24. object — a thing

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