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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bank — for money
  3. court — of a king
  4. stand — to bear
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bank — of a river
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bank — for money
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. snap — to click
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. court — for sport
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. object — a thing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. court — of law
  19. squash — to crush
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. object — an aim
  24. stand — for spectators

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