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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 120 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 · prune · game · bound · club · dip · branch · kid

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. club — a group
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. dip — to sink
  6. bound — certain
  7. branch — a division
  8. club — for dancing
  9. suit — to fit
  10. game — a match
  11. bound — obliged
  12. game — wild animals
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kid — to tease
  18. prune — to trim
  19. bound — tied together
  20. club — for golf
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. suit — in cards
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. dip — to dunk

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