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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pit — a hole
  3. race — a contest
  4. mark — a grade
  5. bound — certain
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. mate — a friend
  8. race — humankind
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. stand — to bear
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mark — a trace
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. kid — child
  15. race — the arms race
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mate — to breed
  18. pit — in a race
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bound — tied together
  23. mate — a partner
  24. mark — to pay attention

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