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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 116 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: court · suit · fall · hand · prune · rush · club · firm

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. firm — a company
  4. court — of law
  5. prune — to trim
  6. hand — in cards
  7. fall — to drop
  8. prune — to trim
  9. suit — clothes
  10. club — for golf
  11. rush — hurry
  12. fall — the season
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. club — a group
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — for dancing
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. firm — steady
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — to drop

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