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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: land · chip · hide · toast · court · rock · branch · date

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. land — to come down
  10. rock — music
  11. rock — a stone
  12. chip — to eat
  13. date — the fruit
  14. branch — a division
  15. toast — bread
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. land — a country
  18. land — ground
  19. chip — for betting
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. chip — in a computer

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