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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. mate — a partner
  6. court — of law
  7. bass — the fish
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — shares
  11. club — for golf
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mate — a friend
  14. stand — to bear
  15. mate — to breed
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. branch — a division
  21. bass — low music
  22. stock — goods
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. racket — for tennis

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