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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. file — a line of people
  3. object — an aim
  4. object — a thing
  5. game — wild animals
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. suit — clothes
  8. season — in sport
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. suit — in cards
  11. file — a document
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. file — a tool
  14. game — a match
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. object — to protest
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of law
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chair — a leader
  24. season — of the year

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