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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
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: wake · branch · court · coach · drill · bowl · rest · game

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. drill — the tool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. drill — army training
  7. game — wild animals
  8. branch — a division
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — a trail
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. court — for sport
  17. game — a match
  18. court — of a king
  19. rest — a break
  20. rest — what's left
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. court — of law

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