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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: suit · rash · court · ground · stem · fine · object · pop

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. court — of a king
  3. fine — high quality
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — all right
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. court — of law
  8. pop — music
  9. rash — hasty
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. rash — a series
  12. court — for sport
  13. pop — soda
  14. object — an aim
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — the earth
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. ground — a position
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. object — to protest
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pop — to visit
  24. object — a thing

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