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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: bowl · court · hide · last · suit · file · pound · game

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  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. file — a line of people
  2. last — final
  3. game — wild animals
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. file — a document
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a tool
  12. court — for sport
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. last — to go on
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. last — finally
  17. suit — in cards
  18. game — a match
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pound — a weight
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  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