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

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. court — of law
  4. chest — of your body
  5. suit — to fit
  6. club — for dancing
  7. chest — of your body
  8. court — for sport
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. rock — a stone
  11. bass — the fish
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — of a king
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. club — a group
  16. bass — low music
  17. club — for golf
  18. chest — a box
  19. net — in sport
  20. rock — music
  21. net — after costs
  22. toast — bread
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. net — for catching

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