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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: suit · wake · firm · court · cap · stem · chair · key

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. key — for a lock
  3. wake — a trail
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. stem — to come from
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. suit — in cards
  10. suit — clothes
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. firm — a company
  13. cap — a lid
  14. key — the most important part
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. firm — steady
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. suit — to fit
  20. firm — decided
  21. cap — a hat
  22. chair — a leader
  23. court — of a king
  24. key — in music

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