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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rest — what's left
  4. firm — steady
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — to keep track
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of law
  10. track — a path
  11. firm — a company
  12. staff — employees
  13. net — for catching
  14. firm — decided
  15. object — an aim
  16. track — a song
  17. net — after costs
  18. staff — a stick
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. object — to protest
  21. staff — employees
  22. court — of a king
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — for sport

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