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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: band · safe · court · firm · mark · foot · fine · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mark — a trace
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chair — a leader
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. band — a music group
  8. mark — a grade
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — steady
  11. court — of a king
  12. firm — a company
  13. band — a ring
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. fine — all right
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fine — high quality
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. court — of law
  23. court — for sport
  24. safe — out of danger

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