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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 · cue · season · lean · suit · mouse · sharp · track

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. cue — a hint
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — in cards
  6. cue — a signal
  7. court — of a king
  8. track — a path
  9. court — for sport
  10. cue — for pool
  11. lean — thin
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. track — a song
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. court — of law
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. track — to keep track
  23. suit — to fit
  24. lean — to bend

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