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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 120 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — for golf
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. present — the time now
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. stand — to bear
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. last — finally
  17. present — there
  18. bound — tied together
  19. present — a gift
  20. bound — certain
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. bound — obliged
  23. club — a group
  24. stand — for spectators

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