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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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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 · stand · bay · can · court · rest · bark · current

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. stand — to bear
  5. court — of a king
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. rest — what's left
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. rest — a break
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. current — electric
  17. can — to be able to
  18. court — of law
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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