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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: bay · fall · squash · bear · current · chair · court · foot

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. court — of law
  5. fall — to drop
  6. squash — the sport
  7. chair — a leader
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — electric
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. court — of a king
  15. squash — to crush
  16. current — happening now
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. fall — the season
  19. court — for sport
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. current — of water
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bear — to put up with

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