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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. court — for sport
  4. can — to be able to
  5. last — finally
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. bass — the fish
  8. club — for dancing
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. bass — low music
  11. branch — a division
  12. club — a group
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — final
  15. mine — for digging
  16. can — a tin
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. club — for golf
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. court — of a king
  23. can — a tin
  24. prune — to trim

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