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

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — in music
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mug — a cup
  8. mark — a trace
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. key — for a lock
  11. mug — to rob
  12. mark — a grade
  13. scale — size or range
  14. saw — the tool
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. key — the most important part
  18. saw — the tool
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. chair — a leader
  23. scale — in music
  24. stand — on your feet

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