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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: suit · trunk · court · object · arm · track

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. object — a thing
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of a king
  5. object — an aim
  6. court — of law
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. suit — clothes
  9. court — for sport
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. track — a song
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — to fit
  16. object — to protest
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. track — to keep track

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