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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — of law
  4. pit — in a race
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. object — a thing
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. court — for sport
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pit — a hole
  15. branch — a division
  16. bass — the fish
  17. court — of a king
  18. object — to protest
  19. bass — low music
  20. object — an aim
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bore — gave birth

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