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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.

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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. court — of a king
  3. net — for catching
  4. bank — for money
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. court — for sport
  7. swing — music
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. swing — to play on
  11. net — in sport
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. bank — of a river
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. net — after costs
  17. court — of law
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. bank — for money
  20. swing — in golf
  21. capital — a city
  22. capital — money
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. pound — a weight

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