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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: bear · bowl · band · drill · suit · court · rash · dip

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bear — the animal
  4. rash — a series
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. court — of law
  10. drill — a practice
  11. drill — the tool
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. court — for sport
  15. suit — in cards
  16. drill — army training
  17. rash — hasty
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. band — a music group
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. court — of a king
  24. band — a ring

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