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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: content · rash · stick · club · suit · court · roll · bat

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. club — for golf
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rash — a series
  7. suit — in cards
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. roll — a list
  10. club — for dancing
  11. roll — a cake
  12. content — the amount
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. court — for sport
  17. content — happy
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. court — of law
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. club — a group
  24. rash — on the skin

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