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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 120 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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. chair — a leader
  4. present — there
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. chip — to eat
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. key — for a lock
  10. present — a gift
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. shower — to wash
  13. chip — for betting
  14. present — the time now
  15. key — the most important part
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. rock — a stone
  20. shower — rain
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. rock — music
  24. stand — to bear

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