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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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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: swing · drill · rule · pitcher · suit · court · object · jam

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. court — of law
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. drill — army training
  6. drill — the tool
  7. suit — in cards
  8. object — an aim
  9. rule — a law
  10. swing — to play on
  11. drill — a practice
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. suit — to fit
  14. rule — government
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. object — a thing
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. object — to protest
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. suit — clothes
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. court — of a king

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