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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 120 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: rock · pop · chest · pit · chair · court · can · kid

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. can — to be able to
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. kid — child
  6. pit — a hole
  7. court — of a king
  8. kid — to tease
  9. can — a tin
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — a tin
  13. chest — of your body
  14. rock — a stone
  15. pop — music
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pop — to visit
  20. chest — a box
  21. court — for sport
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. pop — soda

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