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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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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: roll · club · trunk · march · court · rush · firm · pit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. court — of law
  4. court — of a king
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — the month
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — steady
  10. march — music
  11. firm — decided
  12. rush — hurry
  13. club — for golf
  14. firm — a company
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. roll — a cake
  17. pit — a hole
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. march — the month
  23. club — for dancing
  24. club — a group

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