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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 · key · court · rush · object · suit · date · ground

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. object — to protest
  3. date — the fruit
  4. object — a thing
  5. court — for sport
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. suit — to fit
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — hurry
  14. ground — crushed
  15. key — for a lock
  16. object — an aim
  17. ground — a position
  18. court — of a king
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. suit — clothes
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — in cards
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. court — of law

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