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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. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a tree
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. mug — a face
  4. court — of a king
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. branch — a division
  8. bore — to drill
  9. mug — a cup
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. bore — to tire
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. spell — magic
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. spell — letters

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