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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: jam · suit · cold · plane · key · branch · rash · court

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  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. cold — the Cold War
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. court — of law
  4. rash — a series
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — for sport
  7. key — for a lock
  8. cold — an illness
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. key — in music
  11. cold — not warm
  12. suit — to fit
  13. suit — clothes
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. plane — a tool
  18. court — of a king
  19. suit — in cards
  20. rash — hasty
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. key — the most important part
  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