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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 120 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 · sharp · court · track · mouse · tear

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. suit — to fit
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. suit — clothes
  5. tear — from crying
  6. court — of law
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. court — of a king
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. court — for sport
  14. sharp — clever
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. tear — from crying
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tear — to rip

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