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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. press — newspapers
  6. branch — a division
  7. foot — a measure
  8. court — of a king
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. date — the fruit
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. rest — what's left
  15. rest — a break
  16. court — for sport
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bear — the animal
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — to put up with

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