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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. spring — the season
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. scale — size or range
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. scale — in music
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rest — a break
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rest — what's left
  15. spring — of water
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. branch — a division
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. rest — what's left

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