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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. land — to come down
  4. court — of law
  5. staff — employees
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — for sport
  9. land — ground
  10. pass — a permit
  11. staff — employees
  12. spell — a short time
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. rest — what's left
  15. branch — a division
  16. rest — a break
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — magic
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. spell — letters
  22. staff — a stick
  23. rest — what's left
  24. land — a country

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