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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: branch · bowl · ball · capital · chair · court · fork · calf

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. branch — a division
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. court — of law
  6. capital — a city
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. ball — a dance
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. capital — money
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. ball — a great time
  17. fork — in a road
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. court — of a king
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. capital — a big letter

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