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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. branch — a division
  4. pound — a weight
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. game — wild animals
  14. fine — high quality
  15. game — a match
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. fine — all right
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. court — of a king

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