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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. cue — a signal
  3. mug — a face
  4. branch — a division
  5. root — the cause
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. march — the month
  9. root — of a word
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. march — music
  12. mug — a cup
  13. root — of a plant
  14. shower — to wash
  15. march — the month
  16. cue — a hint
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. shower — rain
  22. cue — for pool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. branch — of a bank

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