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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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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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. pound — a weight
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. spring — the season
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. spring — of water
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. root — the cause
  14. bear — the animal
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. branch — a division
  18. bear — the animal
  19. root — of a word
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. deal — to handle
  22. root — of a plant
  23. court — for sport
  24. spring — a coil

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