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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. fall — to drop
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. chair — a leader
  6. perch — the fish
  7. fall — the season
  8. court — of law
  9. bark — to shout
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bark — of a tree
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. bank — for money
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. wind — moving air
  17. court — for sport
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. wind — moving air
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — to drop

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