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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. chair — a leader
  3. court — of a king
  4. can — to be able to
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — of law
  7. wake — a trail
  8. court — for sport
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. cap — a hat
  11. stand — to bear
  12. ground — a position
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cap — of ice
  15. ground — crushed
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. branch — a division
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cap — a lid
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. can — a tin

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