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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. lean — to bend
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bass — the fish
  7. cap — a hat
  8. chair — a leader
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cue — for pool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stand — to bear
  14. cue — a signal
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — low music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cap — a lid

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