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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. mark — a trace
  5. cell — in biology
  6. mug — a face
  7. capital — a city
  8. cell — a phone
  9. capital — money
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — a leader
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. ball — a dance
  19. mug — a cup
  20. board — a committee
  21. ball — a great time
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. board — to get on
  24. mug — to rob

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