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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: suit · rock · calf · rush · land · ball · kick · court

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — of a king
  6. suit — to fit
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. suit — clothes
  11. rock — music
  12. land — a country
  13. court — for sport
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. ball — a dance
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — in cards
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. land — ground
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. land — to come down
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rock — a stone

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