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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.

Make a worksheet

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: chair · perch · rash · bay · rock · court · cabinet · date

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. bay — a part of the sea
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. date — the fruit
  5. rash — a series
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. court — of law
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. rock — music
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. rock — a stone
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. court — of a king
  22. perch — the fish
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — for sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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