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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: mine · leaves · wave · court · jam · branch · cue · coach

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. court — of law
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. mine — for digging
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. court — of a king
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. court — for sport
  15. cue — a hint
  16. branch — a division
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. cue — a signal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. jam — a tight spot

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