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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. key — the most important part
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. stand — to bear
  8. net — after costs
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. key — for a lock
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. rest — a break
  13. rest — what's left
  14. chair — a leader
  15. rest — what's left
  16. net — for catching
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. net — in sport
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. chair — to sit on

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