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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 120 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
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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: club · file · mug · field · craft · suit · chair · pitch

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. club — for golf
  4. file — a tool
  5. club — a group
  6. suit — to fit
  7. file — a line of people
  8. mug — to rob
  9. craft — a skill
  10. mug — a face
  11. field — for sport
  12. chair — a leader
  13. field — farmland
  14. mug — a cup
  15. craft — boats
  16. pitch — completely
  17. field — a subject
  18. file — a document
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. suit — clothes
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. club — for dancing

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