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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: hand · court · track · rush · suit · ruler · dip · cap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. court — of a king
  4. rush — hurry
  5. suit — in cards
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cap — of ice
  9. hand — in cards
  10. hand — help
  11. court — for sport
  12. track — to keep track
  13. suit — clothes
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cap — a lid
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. track — a song
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. cap — a hat
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. track — a path
  23. court — of law
  24. ruler — for measuring

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