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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: court · stick · row · rash · band · arm · suit · wound

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. court — of a king
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. rash — a series
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. wound — an injury
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. suit — in cards
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. band — a ring
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. wound — an injury
  20. row — a line
  21. rash — hasty
  22. band — a music group
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. row — to paddle

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