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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. court — of a king
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. chair — a leader
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bear — the animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. club — a group
  18. ground — the earth
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. bear — the animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — a position

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