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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. court — for sport
  7. content — the amount
  8. content — happy
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. object — to protest
  15. pit — in a race
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. object — an aim
  19. court — of law
  20. branch — a division
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pit — a hole
  23. object — a thing
  24. leaves — of a tree

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