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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. branch — a division
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. prune — to trim
  8. staff — a stick
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bear — the animal
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. suit — in cards
  14. staff — employees
  15. row — to paddle
  16. court — for sport
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. court — of a king
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. row — a line
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. suit — to fit

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