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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.

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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: ball · stick · chair · can · suit · kid · club · spring

  1. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. suit — to fit
  6. can — a tin
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. can — a tin
  10. kid — to tease
  11. spring — a coil
  12. club — for golf
  13. ball — a dance
  14. kid — child
  15. suit — in cards
  16. can — to be able to
  17. club — a group
  18. spring — the season
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. suit — clothes
  24. ball — a great time

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