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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: swing · mug · fall · suit · shower · court · fan · toast

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. swing — in golf
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. court — of law
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — to wash
  7. suit — clothes
  8. swing — music
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — for sport
  14. fall — the season
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. toast — bread
  19. swing — to play on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. fall — to drop
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. mug — to rob
  24. suit — in cards

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