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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. court — for sport
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — child
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — to tease
  12. wake — a trail
  13. can — a tin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. court — of law
  19. chip — to eat
  20. can — a tin
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. bowl — a dish

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