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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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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: stand · current · lie · perch · court · chair · kick · rest

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. stand — to bear
  3. kick — in football
  4. rest — what's left
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. current — of water
  7. chair — a leader
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. rest — what's left
  15. court — of law
  16. current — electric
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. current — happening now
  19. lie — to recline
  20. rest — a break
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. perch — the fish
  23. lie — an untruth
  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