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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. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. face — part of the head
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. face — to point toward
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stock — goods
  10. bore — to drill
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. chair — a leader
  14. face — to confront
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of law
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. court — of a king
  19. bore — to tire
  20. stock — shares
  21. scale — in music
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stand — to bear

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