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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 116 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: spell · mate · can · club · rest · court · cell · branch

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. club — for dancing
  3. branch — of a bank
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — what's left
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. court — of law
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. mate — a partner
  10. mate — a friend
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spell — a short time
  13. club — for golf
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. court — of a king
  17. rest — a break
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — to be able to
  20. branch — a division
  21. can — a tin
  22. mate — to breed
  23. club — a group
  24. rest — what's left

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