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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: branch · track · court · bear · present · ball · nail · foot

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. court — of law
  5. ball — a great time
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — a measure
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. branch — a division
  10. bear — the animal
  11. track — a song
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. ball — a dance
  18. present — a gift
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. court — of a king
  22. present — there
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a path

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