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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 · sharp · key · rule · pit · branch · court · bay

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. pit — a hole
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — for sport
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. mine — for digging
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. rule — a law
  15. branch — a division
  16. key — the most important part
  17. key — in music
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. court — of a king
  21. rule — government
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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