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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: staff · nail · fine · file · ball · court · rule · jam

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. fine — all right
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. court — for sport
  4. fine — high quality
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. court — of law
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. file — a tool
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. ball — a dance
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. staff — employees
  17. staff — employees
  18. rule — a law
  19. file — a document
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ball — a great time
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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