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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 120 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — a leader
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. court — of a king
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. fall — the season
  11. club — for dancing
  12. craft — boats
  13. fall — to drop
  14. tube — a container
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. current — of water
  17. club — a group
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. club — for golf
  20. current — happening now
  21. craft — a skill
  22. current — electric
  23. tube — the underground
  24. court — for sport

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