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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: chair · hide · mouse · dip · cabinet · roll · court · fork

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. court — of a king
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — for sport
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. court — of law
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — in a road
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. dip — to sink
  18. roll — a cake
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. roll — a list

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