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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: rush · rule · court · branch · bound · root · suit · hand

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. root — of a plant
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — hurry
  6. root — of a word
  7. rule — government
  8. root — the cause
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. suit — in cards
  11. hand — help
  12. bound — tied together
  13. bound — obliged
  14. court — of law
  15. bound — certain
  16. branch — a division
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. suit — clothes
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. rule — a law
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. suit — to fit
  24. rule — to rule out

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