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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — for catching
  5. firm — steady
  6. net — after costs
  7. court — for sport
  8. cap — a hat
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. cap — a lid
  11. chair — a leader
  12. net — in sport
  13. cue — for pool
  14. bank — of a river
  15. firm — decided
  16. cap — of ice
  17. rule — government
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. firm — a company
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. rule — a law
  22. bank — for money
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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