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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: suit · fan · temple · file · rush · foot · pit · court

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. suit — to fit
  3. rush — hurry
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. suit — in cards
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pit — a hole
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — of a king
  15. file — a document
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. file — a tool
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. suit — clothes
  22. foot — a measure
  23. court — of law
  24. file — a line of people

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