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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — high quality
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. can — a tin
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rest — what's left
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. sharp — clever
  12. can — a tin
  13. march — music
  14. fine — all right
  15. chair — a leader
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. can — to be able to
  22. stand — to bear
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. chair — to sit on

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