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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: court · pass · chest · suit · swing · bay · can · pound

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. can — a tin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. swing — in golf
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chest — a box
  9. suit — clothes
  10. can — a tin
  11. court — of a king
  12. suit — in cards
  13. court — of law
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. chest — of your body
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. swing — music
  20. pound — a weight
  21. court — for sport
  22. chest — of your body
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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