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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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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: suit · face · pound · bulb · mine · deal · court · branch

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — in cards
  4. face — to point toward
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. court — for sport
  8. face — part of the head
  9. suit — to fit
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. mine — for digging
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. deal — to handle
  15. face — to confront
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of law
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. bulb — for light
  21. branch — a division
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. suit — clothes
  24. mine — belonging to me

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