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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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468
Word bank
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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 can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fine — all right
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. key — in music
  6. swing — to play on
  7. chair — a leader
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. can — a tin
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. game — a match
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. can — a tin
  14. can — to be able to
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. swing — in golf
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. swing — music
  21. fine — high quality
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. game — wild animals
  24. key — for a lock

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