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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: suit · club · file · land · bowl · board · key · court

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. board — to get on
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. club — for dancing
  6. file — a line of people
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. suit — to fit
  9. club — for golf
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. suit — clothes
  12. file — a document
  13. court — of a king
  14. board — a committee
  15. key — the most important part
  16. suit — in cards
  17. land — a country
  18. club — a group
  19. court — of law
  20. land — to come down
  21. file — a tool
  22. court — for sport
  23. land — ground
  24. key — in music

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