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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: racket · rash · rule · suit · date · court · kick · rock

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. suit — in cards
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. court — of law
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. rule — government
  10. rash — hasty
  11. suit — clothes
  12. rock — a stone
  13. rash — a series
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. court — for sport
  16. kick — in football
  17. suit — to fit
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. court — of a king
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. date — the fruit
  23. rock — music
  24. kick — a thrill

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