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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. object — to protest
  3. pit — in a race
  4. dip — to sink
  5. object — an aim
  6. chair — a leader
  7. mate — to breed
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. bound — tied together
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. court — of law
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bound — certain
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mate — a friend
  18. mate — a partner
  19. scale — in music
  20. bound — obliged
  21. object — a thing
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. scale — for weighing

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