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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 120 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. file — a line of people
  7. stand — to bear
  8. cue — for pool
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. file — a document
  14. cue — a signal
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. file — a tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. field — farmland

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