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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: branch · court · wound · bowl · mark · ruler · ground · hand

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. court — for sport
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — a division
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. court — of a king
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. ground — crushed
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — help
  18. wound — an injury
  19. ground — a position
  20. court — of law
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. mark — a grade
  24. bowl — to roll

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