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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. wake — a trail
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. cue — a signal
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — a division
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. court — of a king
  12. court — of law
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cue — a hint
  17. squash — to crush
  18. court — for sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cue — for pool

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