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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: stand · dip · kick · suit · cell · wind · court · scale

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. suit — in cards
  7. scale — size or range
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cell — in biology
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. court — of a king
  13. cell — a phone
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. court — for sport
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. wind — moving air
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. court — of law
  21. stand — to bear
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — to fit
  24. wind — to turn a key

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