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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · hide · pitcher · squash · chair · rush · court · cabinet

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. snap — to click
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. court — of a king
  9. court — of law
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. rush — hurry
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — to crush
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. squash — the sport
  23. chair — to sit on
  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