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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. chair — a leader
  4. key — the most important part
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. fall — to drop
  8. court — of a king
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. key — in music
  13. fall — the season
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bank — of a river
  16. mine — for digging
  17. key — for a lock
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bank — for money
  20. court — for sport
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bank — for money
  24. court — of law

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