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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.

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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: spell · court · stick · bat · suit · swing · last · rush

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. suit — to fit
  4. suit — clothes
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. court — of a king
  8. last — to go on
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — letters
  13. bat — the animal
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — a short time
  16. last — finally
  17. swing — in golf
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. last — final
  21. swing — music
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — to play on
  24. rush — to hurry

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