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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. object — to protest
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — an aim
  9. court — of law
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. deal — to handle
  12. court — for sport
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. shower — rain
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of a king
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. tube — a container
  22. tube — the underground
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — a big deal

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