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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: suit · stock · rush · branch · arm · court · lean · present

  1. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to bend
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. suit — in cards
  7. court — of law
  8. present — a gift
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. lean — thin
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. stock — goods
  16. court — for sport
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. court — of a king
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. rush — hurry
  21. suit — to fit
  22. present — the time now
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. present — there

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