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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. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. hide — to keep secret
  2. firm — steady
  3. chip — for betting
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. chip — to eat
  6. court — of a king
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. chair — a leader
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. firm — decided
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. firm — a company
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — for sport
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. scale — size or range
  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