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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: fan · cue · court · spell · pit · roll · firm · branch

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. branch — a division
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — decided
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — a company
  8. roll — a cake
  9. cue — a hint
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. cue — for pool
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. spell — magic
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. roll — a list
  16. spell — letters
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. spell — a short time
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. court — of law
  22. cue — a signal
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. firm — steady

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