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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: court · stand · racket · pit · bound · wax · tear · branch

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. tear — to rip
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. branch — a division
  5. bound — tied together
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. pit — in a race
  8. stand — to bear
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — obliged
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. wax — to grow
  13. pit — a hole
  14. tear — from crying
  15. court — of law
  16. tear — from crying
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. bound — certain
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. court — for sport
  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