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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: row · swing · court · hide · object · dip · chair · roll

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. dip — to sink
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. object — to protest
  14. swing — to play on
  15. row — a line
  16. swing — music
  17. object — an aim
  18. row — to paddle
  19. swing — in golf
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. roll — a list

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