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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: rush · arm · club · drill · suit · bat · present · court

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. bat — the animal
  3. club — a group
  4. suit — to fit
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. suit — clothes
  7. court — of law
  8. suit — in cards
  9. drill — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. court — of a king
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. club — for golf
  14. drill — army training
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. present — the time now
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. court — for sport
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. present — a gift
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. present — there

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