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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rash — hasty
  3. court — of law
  4. rush — hurry
  5. court — for sport
  6. last — finally
  7. object — an aim
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. last — final
  11. suit — in cards
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — a series
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. object — to protest
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. object — a thing
  23. last — to go on
  24. chair — a leader

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