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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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. shower — to wash
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cue — a hint
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. cue — for pool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. court — of law
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. chair — a leader
  21. cue — a signal
  22. ground — a position
  23. court — of a king
  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