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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rash · kid · suit · ground · cold · pitcher · court · pass

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. court — of law
  4. suit — to fit
  5. kid — to tease
  6. kid — child
  7. suit — in cards
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. court — for sport
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. ground — the earth
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. rash — a series
  19. court — of a king
  20. cold — an illness
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cold — not warm
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. ground — a position

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