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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. court — of law
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. pit — a hole
  6. band — a ring
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pop — music
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — in a race
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. court — for sport
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — of a king
  24. pop — to visit

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