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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 · net · bore · rush · tear · stand · land · court

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. land — to come down
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. net — for catching
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. bore — to tire
  11. bore — to drill
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. land — ground
  16. stand — to bear
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. tear — from crying
  20. tear — to rip
  21. court — of law
  22. net — after costs
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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