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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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. staff — employees
  9. swing — in golf
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — of law
  12. staff — employees
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. perch — the fish
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. branch — a division
  18. swing — music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. staff — a stick

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