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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. track — a path
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. track — to keep track
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — completely
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a song
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a leader
  24. stand — on your feet

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