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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: spring · suit · game · cabinet · file · bay · mark · present

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. file — a tool
  5. game — a match
  6. present — a gift
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. file — a line of people
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — the season
  14. present — the time now
  15. file — a document
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. present — there
  24. suit — to fit

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