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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: deal · mug · court · prune · band · charge · bound · suit

  1. The tickets are free of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. charge — a price
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of a king
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bound — certain
  7. mug — a cup
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — to handle
  10. suit — in cards
  11. suit — to fit
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. mug — a face
  14. court — of law
  15. band — a ring
  16. charge — electricity
  17. suit — clothes
  18. charge — in control
  19. band — a music group
  20. bound — obliged
  21. bound — tied together
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — to trim
  24. mug — to rob

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