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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a leader
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. suit — to fit
  7. club — for golf
  8. wax — to grow
  9. can — a tin
  10. club — for dancing
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. can — to be able to
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. game — a match
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — a group
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. game — wild animals

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