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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. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — in a road
  4. staff — a stick
  5. mark — a trace
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. court — for sport
  8. staff — employees
  9. chest — of your body
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. mark — a grade
  12. branch — a division
  13. last — final
  14. ball — a dance
  15. last — finally
  16. last — to go on
  17. chest — of your body
  18. court — of a king
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. court — of law
  21. ball — a great time
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. staff — employees
  24. mark — to pay attention

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