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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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. court — for sport
  6. scale — in music
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of law
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — steady
  11. dip — to sink
  12. scale — size or range
  13. firm — a company
  14. court — of a king
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. chair — to sit on

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