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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 · court · trunk · foot · date · plane · ball · straw

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. ball — a great time
  5. plane — a tool
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ball — a dance
  13. foot — a measure
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. date — the fruit
  19. court — of a king
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. suit — clothes
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. trunk — of a car

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