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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. ball — a great time
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. land — ground
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. can — to be able to
  8. court — of a king
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — for sport
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mark — a grade
  15. land — to come down
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. land — a country
  20. court — of law
  21. mark — a trace
  22. ball — a dance
  23. branch — a division
  24. leaves — to go away

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