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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — for sport
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. court — of a king
  8. ball — a great time
  9. can — a tin
  10. can — to be able to
  11. degree — temperature
  12. can — a tin
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. court — of law
  16. chair — a leader
  17. degree — from a university
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. degree — an amount

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