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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bear — the animal
  3. spell — a short time
  4. court — for sport
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of a king
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. bound — certain
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. bound — tied together
  11. drill — army training
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. spell — magic
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. lash — an eyelash
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bound — obliged
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. drill — the tool
  24. spell — letters

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