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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 120 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: court · branch · net · face · bowl · mug · row · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. court — of law
  3. mug — to rob
  4. row — to paddle
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. net — for catching
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. mug — a cup
  9. pass — a permit
  10. branch — a division
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. court — for sport
  14. face — to point toward
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. net — in sport
  19. row — a line
  20. face — to confront
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. mug — a face
  23. court — of a king
  24. net — after costs

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