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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. land — ground
  3. roll — a cake
  4. court — of a king
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. land — a country
  10. branch — a division
  11. roll — a list
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. key — for a lock
  15. board — to get on
  16. tube — the underground
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. key — in music
  19. court — for sport
  20. dip — to sink
  21. land — to come down
  22. board — a committee
  23. court — of law
  24. key — the most important part

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