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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. object — an aim
  5. court — of law
  6. object — to protest
  7. sharp — clever
  8. court — of a king
  9. drill — a practice
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. suit — clothes
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. suit — in cards
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. object — a thing
  19. drill — the tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. drill — army training
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. court — for sport

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