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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: wake · season · mug · file · game · lie · court · roll

  1. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. roll — a cake
  3. file — a tool
  4. roll — a list
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — for sport
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. mug — a face
  10. season — in sport
  11. lie — to recline
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — to rob
  14. file — a line of people
  15. season — of the year
  16. court — of law
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. court — of a king
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. game — wild animals
  23. game — a match
  24. mug — a cup

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