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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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Word bank
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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: club · suit · coach · mate · bulb · wax · court · branch

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bulb — for light
  4. branch — of a tree
  5. branch — a division
  6. suit — to fit
  7. court — of a king
  8. bulb — for light
  9. club — for golf
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mate — to breed
  13. club — for dancing
  14. suit — clothes
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — of law
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. wax — to grow
  22. club — a group
  23. court — for sport
  24. suit — in cards

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