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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.

Make a worksheet

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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bay · court · current · club · tear · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. current — happening now
  4. court — for sport
  5. club — for golf
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. tear — from crying
  8. tear — to rip
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. tear — from crying
  12. current — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — electric
  15. club — a group
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. chair — a leader

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