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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. file — a document
  3. scale — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — a leader
  7. ground — a position
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. scale — size or range
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. file — a line of people
  17. stand — to bear
  18. rush — hurry
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. file — a tool
  24. ground — the earth

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