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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. content — the amount
  3. staff — employees
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. season — in sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. firm — decided
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. court — of law
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. snap — to click
  15. lean — thin
  16. content — happy
  17. court — for sport
  18. firm — a company
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. lean — to bend
  21. firm — steady
  22. season — of the year
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. staff — employees

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