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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: vault · mine · tube · mug · fine · branch · leaves · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. fine — all right
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. branch — a division
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. court — of a king
  12. tube — a container
  13. vault — a safe
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mug — to rob
  16. mug — a face
  17. mine — for digging
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. court — for sport
  20. fine — high quality
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. tube — the underground
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. mug — a cup

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