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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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Word bank
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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 · net · spring · rush · chair · court · vault · last

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. spring — the season
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. spring — a coil
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. last — to go on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. spring — of water
  12. court — for sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. vault — a safe
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. branch — a division
  18. court — of a king
  19. net — in sport
  20. last — finally
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. court — of law
  23. net — for catching
  24. last — final

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