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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: branch · firm · fork · club · court · cell

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. club — for dancing
  3. branch — a division
  4. club — a group
  5. court — of a king
  6. club — for golf
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cell — in biology
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. firm — decided
  14. fork — in a road
  15. firm — steady
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. cell — a phone
  18. cell — in a prison

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