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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — of a king
  6. chair — a leader
  7. tear — to rip
  8. tear — from crying
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wake — a trail
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. court — for sport
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. court — of law
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. tear — from crying

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