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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: file · trunk · court · staff · object · pitcher · ground · can

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. object — to protest
  4. can — to be able to
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. can — a tin
  7. can — a tin
  8. staff — a stick
  9. file — a line of people
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — crushed
  12. court — of a king
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. ground — a position
  16. file — a tool
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. file — a document
  20. staff — employees
  21. ground — the earth
  22. staff — employees
  23. court — for sport
  24. object — a thing

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