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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: rush · court · rest · club · chest · spell · saw · jam

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rest — a break
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. court — of law
  7. rest — what's left
  8. rest — what's left
  9. club — a group
  10. chest — of your body
  11. club — for golf
  12. saw — the tool
  13. spell — magic
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. court — for sport
  16. saw — the tool
  17. rush — hurry
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. court — of a king
  21. spell — letters
  22. chest — a box
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rush — a thrill

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