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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 120 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: suit · stand · game · squash · bear · court · content · kid

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. game — a match
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bear — the animal
  8. suit — clothes
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. suit — in cards
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. squash — to crush
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. content — happy
  16. game — wild animals
  17. squash — the sport
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kid — to tease
  20. stand — to bear
  21. court — for sport
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — the amount
  24. kid — child

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