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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rule — government
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. court — for sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. squash — to crush
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. court — of a king
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. squash — the sport
  24. chair — a leader

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