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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: present · suit · cell · firm · court · kick · rash · last

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. last — final
  4. court — of a king
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. suit — to fit
  7. cell — in biology
  8. kick — in football
  9. present — a gift
  10. suit — clothes
  11. last — finally
  12. cell — a phone
  13. last — to go on
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. rash — hasty
  17. court — of law
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. suit — in cards
  20. firm — decided
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — a company
  23. firm — steady
  24. present — the time now

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