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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: foot · rush · can · rock · court · wound · firm · pop

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. pop — soda
  3. wound — an injury
  4. can — a tin
  5. court — of law
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — a company
  8. rock — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. rush — hurry
  11. firm — steady
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. court — for sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pop — to visit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — a measure
  21. rock — a stone
  22. can — a tin
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pop — music

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