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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. capital — money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. court — of a king
  7. bat — the animal
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. rush — hurry
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. court — for sport
  14. capital — a city
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. date — the fruit
  21. branch — a division
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. date — on the calendar

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