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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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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 · game · present · track · mug · branch · mark · court

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. court — of a king
  3. mug — a cup
  4. present — the time now
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. mug — a face
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. suit — clothes
  10. track — a path
  11. game — wild animals
  12. present — there
  13. track — to keep track
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. track — a song
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — in cards
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. suit — to fit
  23. branch — a division
  24. game — a match

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