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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: toast · last · branch · mark · kick · court · dip · mug

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. branch — of a bank
  3. court — of a king
  4. mug — a cup
  5. last — final
  6. mark — a trace
  7. branch — a division
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. kick — in football
  10. last — to go on
  11. court — for sport
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — a grade
  14. dip — to sink
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. last — finally
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. mug — a face
  24. toast — the most admired

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