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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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. firm — a company
  3. cue — for pool
  4. rest — a break
  5. tear — from crying
  6. firm — decided
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. tear — to rip
  9. cue — a hint
  10. tear — from crying
  11. rest — what's left
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. cue — a signal
  15. court — for sport
  16. rest — what's left
  17. charge — in control
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. court — of a king
  20. rule — a law
  21. charge — a price
  22. rule — government
  23. charge — electricity
  24. court — of law

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