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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: suit · present · roll · pitcher · court · chair · stick · cabinet

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. court — of a king
  5. suit — to fit
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. roll — a cake
  10. present — the time now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. suit — in cards
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. court — of law
  20. roll — a list
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitcher — a jug

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