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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · saw · bowl · calf · file · court · jam · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. court — of a king
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. court — of law
  10. file — a line of people
  11. bore — to tire
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bore — to drill
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. file — a tool
  23. court — for sport
  24. file — a document

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