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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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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: file · game · pit · pitcher · present · suit · court · rock

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. court — of law
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. suit — in cards
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. court — for sport
  7. file — a tool
  8. present — a gift
  9. file — a line of people
  10. rock — music
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — clothes
  13. court — of a king
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. game — a match
  17. pit — a hole
  18. suit — to fit
  19. present — there
  20. rock — a stone
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. file — a document
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. present — the time now

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