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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 116 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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. chair — a leader
  3. firm — decided
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. court — for sport
  10. rush — hurry
  11. season — in sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. staff — employees
  18. firm — a company
  19. firm — steady
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. staff — a stick
  24. court — of a king

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