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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bark — to shout
  3. branch — a division
  4. rule — a law
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. cell — in biology
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. ball — a great time
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. cell — a phone
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. rule — government
  24. ball — a round shape

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