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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. court — of a king
  4. rock — a stone
  5. court — for sport
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. land — a country
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. land — ground
  12. land — to come down
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rock — music
  15. fall — to drop
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. court — of law
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. pit — a hole
  23. wind — moving air
  24. chair — a professorship

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