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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. present — there
  5. court — for sport
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. present — the time now
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. chair — a leader
  11. stand — to bear
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — a gift
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. plane — a tool
  23. court — of a king
  24. branch — a division

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