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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: court · suit · wind · sharp · stick · tube · mark · stem

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mark — a trace
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a grade
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. stem — to come from
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. suit — to fit
  10. tube — a container
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. wind — moving air
  15. sharp — clever
  16. tube — the underground
  17. court — of a king
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. wind — moving air
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. court — for sport
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. court — of law

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