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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. can — to be able to
  5. court — of a king
  6. foot — a measure
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. can — a tin
  11. rock — a stone
  12. court — for sport
  13. game — a match
  14. net — after costs
  15. rock — music
  16. net — for catching
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. net — in sport
  21. lean — to bend
  22. lean — thin
  23. court — of law
  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