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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 · last · straw · mate · deal · can · mug · court

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. last — finally
  3. can — to be able to
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mate — a friend
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. deal — to handle
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. can — a tin
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. court — for sport
  14. last — final
  15. suit — clothes
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. suit — in cards
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. last — to go on
  23. mate — to breed
  24. mug — to rob

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