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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: file · suit · bay · march · present · kick · chair · current

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. file — a line of people
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. suit — to fit
  6. current — of water
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. current — happening now
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. march — the month
  12. chair — a leader
  13. present — there
  14. march — the month
  15. present — a gift
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. current — electric
  20. present — the time now
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kick — in football
  24. march — music

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