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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. fine — all right
  5. suit — to fit
  6. branch — a division
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stand — to bear
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. bark — to shout
  17. court — of law
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. suit — clothes
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. fine — high quality

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