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

Word bank: court · club · toast · deal · firm · chair · bulb · dip

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — for dancing
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. firm — steady
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — for light
  13. firm — decided
  14. club — for golf
  15. chair — a leader
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. club — a group
  19. dip — to sink
  20. court — for sport
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — a company
  24. deal — to handle

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