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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rest — what's left
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pit — in a race
  8. drill — a practice
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pit — a hole
  14. drill — the tool
  15. rest — a break
  16. wound — an injury
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — army training

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