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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pit — in a race
  3. court — for sport
  4. lie — to recline
  5. row — to paddle
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of a king
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. row — a line
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. prune — to trim
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. court — of law

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