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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. craft — a skill
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. branch — a division
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. fine — all right
  10. press — newspapers
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. press — a publisher
  13. kid — to tease
  14. fine — high quality
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — for sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — of law
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. kid — child
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. court — of a king
  24. press — to push

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