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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: dip · bowl · charge · court · firm · current · cold · chair

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — to sink
  3. charge — in control
  4. current — of water
  5. current — happening now
  6. firm — decided
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. cold — an illness
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cold — not warm
  12. current — electric
  13. charge — electricity
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. charge — a price
  17. court — of law
  18. firm — steady
  19. court — for sport
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. firm — a company
  24. court — of a king

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