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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: court · cell · tear · content · racket · bay · craft · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. tear — from crying
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. court — for sport
  5. content — happy
  6. suit — to fit
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of law
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. court — of a king
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. craft — boats
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. suit — in cards
  17. tear — to rip
  18. content — the amount
  19. tear — from crying
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. craft — a skill
  23. cell — in biology
  24. craft — a handicraft

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