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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: object · file · chair · pound · court · jam · stem · toast

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. court — of law
  4. stem — to come from
  5. toast — bread
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. object — to protest
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. court — for sport
  14. pound — a weight
  15. file — a tool
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. file — a document
  19. object — an aim
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. object — a thing
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of a king

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