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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. court — for sport
  5. cue — a signal
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — a division
  9. capital — money
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — of a king
  12. land — ground
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. can — a tin
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — to be able to
  17. land — a country
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. cue — a hint
  20. land — to come down
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. cue — for pool

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