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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: arm · straw · court · swing · foot · suit · bore · club

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — for golf
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. bore — to drill
  7. foot — a measure
  8. court — of law
  9. swing — music
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. swing — in golf
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. swing — to play on
  21. court — of a king
  22. suit — in cards
  23. court — for sport
  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