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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. court — for sport
  4. fork — in a road
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bound — certain
  9. plane — a tool
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. mug — a face
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. bound — obliged
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bound — tied together
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. mug — to rob

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