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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: kid · fine · cap · chair · foot · bowl · fan · court

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. cap — a hat
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. kid — child
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. cap — of ice
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. foot — a measure
  14. cap — a lid
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chair — a leader
  17. fine — all right
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. court — of law
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kid — to tease
  24. foot — part of the body

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