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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 116 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 · chip · mug · spell · mouse · prune · fall · branch

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. spell — letters
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. fall — to drop
  6. prune — to trim
  7. spell — a short time
  8. fall — to drop
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chip — for betting
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. fall — the season
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — magic
  16. chip — to eat
  17. court — for sport
  18. branch — a division
  19. mug — a face
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — a cup
  24. chip — in a computer

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