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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: hand · court · foot · suit · stick · bass · shower · clip

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. clip — to cut
  3. clip — for paper
  4. clip — a video
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — rain
  7. suit — to fit
  8. bass — the fish
  9. court — for sport
  10. bass — low music
  11. foot — a measure
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. court — of a king
  16. suit — clothes
  17. court — of law
  18. suit — in cards
  19. hand — help
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. hand — in cards
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. foot — part of the body

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