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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pop — soda
  5. pop — to visit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. pop — music
  9. suit — clothes
  10. court — of law
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. rule — government
  16. court — for sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. field — a subject
  21. rule — a law
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mouse — for a computer

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