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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 120 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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. net — for catching
  3. rest — what's left
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — to handle
  7. court — of a king
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. court — of law
  10. net — after costs
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. ball — a great time
  14. rest — a break
  15. branch — a division
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. ball — a dance
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. court — for sport
  23. chair — a leader
  24. ball — a round shape

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