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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: wake · court · staff · kick · pitch · chair · jam · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. staff — a stick
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. court — of law
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. suit — in cards
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. wake — a trail
  10. chair — a leader
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. kick — in football
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. pitch — completely
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of a king
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — for sport
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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