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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: court · saw · spell · bass · bat · jam · suit · mouse

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. spell — letters
  5. spell — a short time
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. court — for sport
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. court — of a king
  11. bass — low music
  12. suit — in cards
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. saw — the tool
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. spell — magic
  21. bat — the animal
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. bass — the fish
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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