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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 120 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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. content — the amount
  6. court — of law
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. branch — a division
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. fine — all right
  11. land — ground
  12. land — a country
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. fork — in a road
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. land — to come down
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. fine — high quality
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. content — happy
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. wound — an injury

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