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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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468
Word bank
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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. scale — in music
  3. scale — size or range
  4. fall — to drop
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. court — for sport
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. fall — the season
  17. court — of law
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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