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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: present · pound · court · ground · file · fan · suit · trunk

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a document
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. suit — clothes
  11. court — of law
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. court — for sport
  14. ground — the earth
  15. suit — in cards
  16. file — a tool
  17. present — there
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. ground — a position
  22. pound — a weight
  23. court — of a king
  24. ground — crushed

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