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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. object — a thing
  3. pop — soda
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mate — a partner
  8. pop — music
  9. stand — to bear
  10. pop — to visit
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. mate — to breed
  13. rock — music
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. object — to protest
  16. mate — a friend
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. object — an aim
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — clever

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