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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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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: jam · bay · wake · cap · object · chair · net · court

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. net — after costs
  5. cap — a hat
  6. object — an aim
  7. net — for catching
  8. wake — a trail
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. cap — a lid
  11. court — of law
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. object — to protest
  19. court — of a king
  20. court — for sport
  21. cap — of ice
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. object — a thing
  24. chair — a professorship

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