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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: row · branch · season · band · bark · vault · court · key

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. season — of the year
  4. row — a line
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. season — in sport
  8. vault — a safe
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bark — to shout
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. court — of a king
  23. key — for a lock
  24. branch — a division

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