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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. net — in sport
  3. suit — in cards
  4. net — after costs
  5. court — of a king
  6. object — to protest
  7. wind — moving air
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. swing — music
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. lie — to recline
  13. swing — to play on
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. suit — clothes
  16. fork — in a road
  17. court — of law
  18. object — an aim
  19. swing — in golf
  20. wind — moving air
  21. object — a thing
  22. net — for catching
  23. court — for sport
  24. lie — an untruth

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