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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: cue · court · mine · branch · mouse · mug · dip · bore

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  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. branch — a division
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. mug — a face
  6. bore — to drill
  7. court — for sport
  8. dip — to sink
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. mug — to rob
  11. cue — a hint
  12. bore — to tire
  13. cue — a signal
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. court — of a king
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. mug — a cup
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mine — for digging
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. cue — for pool
  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