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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. chair — a leader
  3. staff — a stick
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. game — a match
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pit — a hole
  10. stand — to bear
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. sharp — clever
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. staff — employees
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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