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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. cap — a lid
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. foot — a measure
  6. ground — crushed
  7. cap — of ice
  8. rash — a series
  9. firm — a company
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cap — a hat
  12. cue — for pool
  13. ground — a position
  14. rash — hasty
  15. ground — the earth
  16. cue — a hint
  17. wake — a trail
  18. firm — decided
  19. cue — a signal
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. firm — steady
  24. chair — a professorship

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