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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. suit — clothes
  4. track — a path
  5. suit — to fit
  6. chest — of your body
  7. suit — in cards
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. mug — a face
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. bank — for money
  15. mug — a cup
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. mug — to rob
  18. court — of law
  19. spell — letters
  20. bank — for money
  21. chest — a box
  22. stand — to bear
  23. track — to keep track
  24. track — a song

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