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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: suit · chair · kick · pass · ball · court · can · field

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. chair — a leader
  3. pass — a permit
  4. suit — in cards
  5. court — of a king
  6. court — for sport
  7. ball — a dance
  8. field — a subject
  9. can — a tin
  10. field — farmland
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. can — to be able to
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. can — a tin
  16. ball — a great time
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. court — of law
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. field — for sport
  24. kick — in football

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