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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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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: date · rest · court · suit · deal · pop · mark · branch

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of law
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pop — music
  6. court — of a king
  7. rest — a break
  8. branch — a division
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. date — the fruit
  11. deal — to handle
  12. suit — to fit
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pop — soda
  15. rest — what's left
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. court — for sport
  18. mark — a trace
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rest — what's left
  23. mark — a grade
  24. pop — to visit

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