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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 120 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — for dancing
  6. club — for golf
  7. bear — the animal
  8. file — a document
  9. game — a match
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. chair — a leader
  13. file — a tool
  14. club — a group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — the animal
  19. court — of law
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. court — for sport
  23. game — wild animals
  24. chair — a professorship

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