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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. court — of a king
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. court — of law
  5. can — to be able to
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. court — for sport
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. hand — in cards
  22. can — a tin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

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