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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 120 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: suit · court · squash · fall · lie · band · ball · present

  1. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. band — a rubber band
  2. band — a music group
  3. fall — to drop
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. present — a gift
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ball — a great time
  8. court — of law
  9. present — there
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. court — of a king
  12. band — a ring
  13. squash — the sport
  14. lie — to recline
  15. court — for sport
  16. suit — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. squash — to crush
  19. ball — a dance
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. fall — to drop
  22. suit — clothes
  23. fall — the season
  24. suit — to fit

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