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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: stick · pitcher · stand · court · mate · mouse · branch · clip

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. court — of a king
  5. mate — a partner
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. clip — to cut
  8. court — for sport
  9. mate — to breed
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. stand — to bear
  12. clip — for paper
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. mate — a friend
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. branch — a division
  17. clip — a video
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. court — of law
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. branch — of a tree

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