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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. chair — a leader
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — of law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — to bear
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. suit — in cards
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. suit — clothes
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. row — a line
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. suit — to fit
  23. row — to paddle
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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