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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. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. court — of a king
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ground — a position
  8. can — a tin
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bore — to drill
  11. drill — army training
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. drill — a practice
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. branch — a division
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. ground — crushed
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of law
  23. bore — to tire
  24. ground — the earth

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