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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · sharp · game · racket · bear · band · arm · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. court — of law
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. band — a music group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. band — a ring
  12. branch — a division
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. sharp — clever
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bear — the animal
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. game — wild animals
  20. court — for sport
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. game — a match
  24. sharp — with an edge

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