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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pop — music
  5. firm — decided
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. firm — a company
  9. stem — to come from
  10. game — a match
  11. game — wild animals
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pit — a hole
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. rest — what's left
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — steady
  22. rest — a break
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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