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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. foot — a measure
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. march — music
  9. board — to get on
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. band — a ring
  13. press — to push
  14. stand — to bear
  15. board — a committee
  16. rash — hasty
  17. press — a publisher
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. march — the month
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chair — a leader

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