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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 120 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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. net — for catching
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. wind — moving air
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. wind — moving air
  14. court — of law
  15. net — in sport
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. net — after costs
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. cell — a phone
  21. court — of a king
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — for sport

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