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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. date — the fruit
  4. land — to come down
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. court — for sport
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. land — ground
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. court — of law
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. land — a country
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. court — of a king
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a professorship

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