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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 · drill · game · net · cue · chair · jam · land

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cue — a signal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. net — for catching
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. net — in sport
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. cue — a hint
  12. land — ground
  13. suit — in cards
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. drill — a practice
  17. land — a country
  18. suit — to fit
  19. game — a match
  20. land — to come down
  21. cue — for pool
  22. chair — a leader
  23. net — after costs
  24. game — a kind of play

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