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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. chair — a leader
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. stand — to bear
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of law
  10. last — finally
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. last — final
  14. court — for sport
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pit — a hole
  18. saw — the tool
  19. court — of a king
  20. wax — to grow
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pit — in a race
  24. row — a line

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