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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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 · swing · rest · spell · chest · land · object · court

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. chest — a box
  3. swing — music
  4. rest — what's left
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — an aim
  7. suit — in cards
  8. court — for sport
  9. land — ground
  10. swing — in golf
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — magic
  15. rest — a break
  16. chest — of your body
  17. land — a country
  18. rest — what's left
  19. swing — to play on
  20. spell — letters
  21. object — to protest
  22. suit — clothes
  23. suit — to fit
  24. court — of a king

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