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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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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. 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. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. spell — letters
  5. race — humankind
  6. saw — the tool
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. can — a tin
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. cue — for pool
  12. cue — a hint
  13. chair — a leader
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — rain
  16. can — to be able to
  17. race — a contest
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cue — a signal
  20. spell — magic
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. race — the arms race
  24. 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