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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 · squash · snap · rash · pass · arm · suit · stand

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rash — hasty
  4. squash — to crush
  5. suit — in cards
  6. squash — the sport
  7. snap — to click
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. suit — clothes
  10. stand — to bear
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. pass — a permit
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. court — for sport
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. court — of a king
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. court — of law
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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