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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — of law
  3. ball — a dance
  4. court — of a king
  5. stand — to bear
  6. court — for sport
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. mug — a cup
  10. suit — in cards
  11. ball — a great time
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. march — the month
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. suit — clothes
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. mug — a face
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. sharp — clever
  24. mug — to rob

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