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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 116 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: tear · stand · chair · court · stick · rush · chip · ball

  1. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — to eat
  2. court — of law
  3. tear — from crying
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. court — of a king
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ball — a dance
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. tear — to rip
  12. ball — a great time
  13. tear — from crying
  14. rush — hurry
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chip — for betting
  20. stand — to bear
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. chair — a leader
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. court — for sport

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