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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: trunk · key · racket · lash · race · court · mate · suit

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. mate — to breed
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. key — the most important part
  5. mate — a partner
  6. race — the arms race
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. key — in music
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. suit — in cards
  11. court — of law
  12. race — humankind
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. race — a contest
  17. court — for sport
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — a friend
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. key — for a lock
  22. suit — to fit
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. court — of a king

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