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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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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 · fine · chair · stick · bowl · kid · dip · bear

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. court — of law
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fine — high quality
  8. bear — the animal
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. chair — a leader
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kid — child
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. dip — to sink
  19. fine — all right
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bear — the animal
  24. chair — a professorship

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