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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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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: hide · firm · court · bay · mouse · cue · shower · chair

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. firm — decided
  6. shower — rain
  7. court — for sport
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. shower — to wash
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. chair — a leader
  17. firm — steady
  18. cue — a signal
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. firm — a company
  21. cue — a hint
  22. court — of a king
  23. court — of law
  24. cue — for pool

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