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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. kick — in football
  4. object — to protest
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. object — a thing
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. object — an aim
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. chair — a leader
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — a lid
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. track — a song
  17. track — a path
  18. tear — from crying
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. tear — to rip
  21. bat — the animal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. tear — from crying
  24. cap — of ice

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