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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: court · lie · chair · bass · racket · cap · rash · leaves

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. lie — to recline
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. rash — hasty
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — for sport
  10. rash — a series
  11. cap — a lid
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. court — of a king
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cap — of ice
  17. chair — a leader
  18. bass — low music
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. court — of law
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bass — the fish

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