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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: rush · court · arm · date · coach · sharp · wind · suit

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rush — hurry
  6. court — of a king
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. wind — moving air
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. suit — to fit
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. court — of law
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. court — for sport
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. wind — moving air
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. sharp — with an edge

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