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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. spell — letters
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. spell — magic
  5. bore — to tire
  6. court — of a king
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. branch — a division
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a great time
  13. fork — in a road
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. court — of law
  17. bore — to drill
  18. court — for sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rush — hurry
  23. ball — a dance
  24. branch — of a bank

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