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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 ball is in your ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. court — for sport
  2. stem — to come from
  3. sharp — clever
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. squash — to crush
  7. board — a committee
  8. track — a path
  9. suit — to fit
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — of law
  18. squash — the sport
  19. rush — hurry
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. track — a song
  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