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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: court · suit · file · toast · squash · stand · row · lean

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. lean — thin
  3. row — a line
  4. court — of law
  5. suit — clothes
  6. lean — to bend
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. court — of a king
  11. squash — to crush
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. row — to paddle
  15. squash — the sport
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. suit — to fit
  18. stand — to bear
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. court — for sport
  22. file — a line of people
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. suit — in cards

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