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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  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. court — of law
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. drill — the tool
  4. court — of a king
  5. fine — high quality
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. court — for sport
  10. pound — a weight
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. branch — a division
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mine — for digging
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. fine — all right
  23. rush — hurry
  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