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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. firm — decided
  6. rash — a series
  7. chair — a leader
  8. court — of law
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. club — a group
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. lie — to recline
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. firm — steady
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. wax — to grow
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. rash — hasty
  22. court — of a king
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. firm — a company

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