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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 · pound · game · present · chip · calf · court · board

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. suit — to fit
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — to get on
  6. present — the time now
  7. court — for sport
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. suit — clothes
  13. suit — in cards
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. chip — for betting
  17. present — there
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pound — a weight
  20. court — of law
  21. chip — to eat
  22. board — a committee
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. chip — in a computer

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