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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: court · suit · pitcher · straw · firm · stand · sharp · foot

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. court — of a king
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. foot — a measure
  6. suit — in cards
  7. court — for sport
  8. firm — steady
  9. firm — decided
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stand — to bear
  15. court — of law
  16. firm — a company
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. suit — clothes
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — on your feet

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