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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: hide · court · can · race · chair · deal · pit · calf

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. can — to be able to
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. can — a tin
  6. court — for sport
  7. race — the arms race
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. race — humankind
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. race — a contest
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. court — of law
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. chair — a leader
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. can — a tin
  22. court — of a king
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. hide — to keep secret

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