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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: straw · file · suit · court · bank · pass · squash · rest

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. file — a line of people
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. suit — clothes
  7. rest — what's left
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. suit — in cards
  12. file — a document
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. court — of law
  15. rest — what's left
  16. suit — to fit
  17. file — a tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bank — for money
  20. rest — a break
  21. court — for sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bank — for money

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