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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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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 · roll · content · stem · straw · fall · deal · court

  1. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. stem — to come from
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. fall — the season
  5. court — of law
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. suit — in cards
  10. fall — to drop
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. deal — to handle
  13. suit — to fit
  14. content — happy
  15. court — for sport
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. roll — a cake
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. fall — to drop
  21. court — of a king
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. suit — clothes

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