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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. club — for dancing
  3. court — for sport
  4. chair — a leader
  5. plane — a tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. club — a group
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. pass — a permit
  11. club — for golf
  12. court — of a king
  13. fork — in a road
  14. craft — boats
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. court — of law
  19. rest — a break
  20. craft — a skill
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. chair — a professorship

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