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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: sharp · suit · wound · pound · branch · jam · race · court

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. court — of law
  3. race — humankind
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. race — a contest
  6. court — of a king
  7. branch — a division
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. wound — an injury
  14. race — the arms race
  15. sharp — clever
  16. suit — to fit
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pound — a weight
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. suit — in cards
  22. court — for sport
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. suit — clothes

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