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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cell — in biology
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — to bear
  5. object — an aim
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. rock — music
  8. suit — clothes
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kid — to tease
  11. chair — a leader
  12. prune — to trim
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. rock — a stone
  16. object — to protest
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. kid — child
  19. suit — to fit
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — in cards
  23. object — a thing
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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