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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. court — of a king
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. root — of a plant
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. firm — steady
  9. wax — to grow
  10. root — the cause
  11. firm — a company
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. court — for sport
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. firm — decided
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. court — of law
  23. root — of a word
  24. branch — a division

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