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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. mark — a grade
  3. prune — to trim
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. mark — a trace
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — of a king
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — to crush
  14. prune — to trim
  15. chair — a leader
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. court — for sport
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. court — of law
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. branch — a division

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