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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: firm · arm · chair · court · bear · bore · toast · dip

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. court — of a king
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. firm — decided
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. court — for sport
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chair — a leader
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. dip — to sink
  14. bore — to tire
  15. bear — the animal
  16. firm — a company
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bear — the animal
  19. toast — bread
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. firm — steady
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. court — of law

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