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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: bear · nail · cue · charge · court · coach · row · branch

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. charge — electricity
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — for sport
  8. bear — the animal
  9. charge — in control
  10. cue — for pool
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bear — the animal
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. row — a line
  15. cue — a hint
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. row — to paddle
  19. charge — a price
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. branch — a division
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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