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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — a division
  3. court — of a king
  4. board — a committee
  5. rest — a break
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rest — what's left
  11. race — a contest
  12. scale — size or range
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. tube — a container
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. rest — what's left
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. race — humankind
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. scale — in music
  24. court — for sport

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