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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. court — of law
  5. club — for golf
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. roll — a list
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. club — a group
  12. roll — a cake
  13. stand — to bear
  14. club — for dancing
  15. court — for sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. court — of a king
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. arm — part of the body

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