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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. board — a committee
  4. season — of the year
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. suit — to fit
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rule — a law
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. suit — clothes
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. rule — government
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — a face

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