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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. court — for sport
  5. bank — for money
  6. rest — what's left
  7. bank — for money
  8. field — farmland
  9. deal — to handle
  10. court — of a king
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rest — a break
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. court — of law
  15. drill — army training
  16. drill — a practice
  17. field — for sport
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bank — of a river
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — what's left
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. field — a subject
  24. suit — in cards

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