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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: club · cell · file · cue · suit · court

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cell — in biology
  3. file — a line of people
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — a signal
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. file — a tool
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. club — a group
  12. cell — a phone
  13. court — of a king
  14. suit — to fit
  15. court — of law
  16. file — a document
  17. cue — a hint
  18. suit — clothes

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