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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cap — a hat
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. dip — to sink
  10. cap — of ice
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. pit — a hole
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. chair — a leader
  22. bass — low music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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