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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 · suit · roll · rest · cap · rash · pit · saw

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cap — a hat
  7. cap — a lid
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. suit — clothes
  12. pit — in a race
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. roll — a list
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rest — a break
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rest — what's left
  22. saw — the tool
  23. roll — a cake
  24. pit — a hole

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