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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. bound — certain
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. branch — a division
  5. club — a group
  6. track — to keep track
  7. court — of a king
  8. court — for sport
  9. wound — an injury
  10. bound — tied together
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bound — obliged
  14. suit — in cards
  15. suit — to fit
  16. club — for golf
  17. wound — an injury
  18. court — of law
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. track — a path
  21. suit — clothes
  22. track — a song
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — a jug

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