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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
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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: court · bear · cabinet · chair · fan · jam · stand · content

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. chair — a leader
  3. content — the amount
  4. bear — the animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — happy
  13. court — of a king
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. stand — to bear
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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