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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of a king
  5. branch — a division
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. rock — music
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. bark — to shout
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. rock — a stone
  22. court — of law
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. bowl — a dish

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