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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 · track · suit · roll · rest · straw · fan · pit

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. suit — to fit
  3. roll — a cake
  4. pit — a hole
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. court — of law
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. court — of a king
  10. pit — in a race
  11. roll — a list
  12. track — a path
  13. rest — a break
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. suit — clothes
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. track — to keep track
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. court — for sport
  24. track — a song

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