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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. staff — employees
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — for sport
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wound — an injury
  8. chip — for betting
  9. court — of a king
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fine — high quality
  17. rush — hurry
  18. chip — to eat
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fine — all right
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. branch — a division

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