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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: game · spell · wake · court · chair · track · suit · kick

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. suit — in cards
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — clothes
  7. track — a song
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spell — magic
  10. court — of a king
  11. game — a match
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. track — to keep track
  14. spell — a short time
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chair — a leader
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. track — a path
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. suit — to fit
  24. kick — in football

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