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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. current — of water
  3. court — for sport
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. race — the arms race
  6. bear — the animal
  7. current — electric
  8. court — of law
  9. firm — decided
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. court — of a king
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. firm — a company
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. chair — a leader
  19. race — humankind
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. firm — steady
  23. race — a contest
  24. bear — the animal

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