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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: bank · firm · stand · court · charge · ball · chair · degree

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. firm — steady
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. chair — a leader
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. charge — a price
  9. ball — a great time
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. court — of a king
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. bank — for money
  14. stand — to bear
  15. degree — an amount
  16. charge — in control
  17. degree — from a university
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bank — of a river
  20. degree — temperature
  21. charge — electricity
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. bank — for money
  24. stand — for spectators

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