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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 116 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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. march — the month
  3. court — of law
  4. firm — a company
  5. firm — steady
  6. march — the month
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. rest — what's left
  9. staff — employees
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rest — a break
  12. firm — decided
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. staff — employees
  15. march — music
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. kid — to tease
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. staff — a stick
  20. court — for sport
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of a king
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. rest — what's left

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