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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. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. court — for sport
  3. court — of law
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. court — of a king
  6. roll — a cake
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — rain
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. roll — a list
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. craft — boats
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — a skill
  16. can — a tin
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. shower — to wash
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — a tin
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. hide — to keep secret

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