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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: cue · pass · court · lean · suit · deal · net · spell

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. suit — in cards
  3. suit — clothes
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — for sport
  8. cue — a signal
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — after costs
  12. court — of a king
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. net — in sport
  15. spell — magic
  16. lean — to bend
  17. court — of law
  18. cue — a hint
  19. spell — a short time
  20. deal — to handle
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. lean — thin
  24. cue — for pool

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