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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 116 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: chair · court · fall · suit · club · cabinet · mouse · bulb

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. club — for golf
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fall — the season
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. suit — in cards
  9. court — of law
  10. suit — clothes
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. club — for dancing
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — a group
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — of a king
  21. bulb — for light
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. fall — to drop
  24. suit — to fit

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