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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bass — low music
  4. fine — high quality
  5. fine — all right
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. lie — to recline
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. kid — child
  13. court — for sport
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. chair — a leader
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. kid — to tease
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. court — of a king
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. bass — the fish

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