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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 116 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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. track — a path
  3. cap — a hat
  4. rule — government
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. present — there
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. track — a song
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. present — a gift
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. rule — a law
  16. season — in sport
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. season — of the year
  21. chair — a leader
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — the time now
  24. track — to keep track

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