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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. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. race — the arms race
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — a hint
  6. field — for sport
  7. race — a contest
  8. ball — a great time
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. race — humankind
  14. perch — the fish
  15. field — a subject
  16. cue — for pool
  17. field — farmland
  18. cue — a signal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. chair — a leader
  21. ball — a dance
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. ball — a round shape

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