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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · track · court · squash · cell · date · suit · tube

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. firm — a company
  3. squash — the sport
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. suit — in cards
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — clothes
  8. cell — in biology
  9. tube — a container
  10. court — of law
  11. date — the fruit
  12. firm — decided
  13. suit — to fit
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. track — a path
  16. track — a song
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — for sport
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. tube — the underground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. squash — to crush
  24. track — to keep track

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