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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. snap — to click
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. squash — to crush
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. object — an aim
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. object — to protest
  12. squash — the sport
  13. court — for sport
  14. game — wild animals
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. court — of a king
  17. stand — to bear
  18. game — a match
  19. object — a thing
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bore — to drill
  22. chair — a leader
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. chair — to sit on

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