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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — a monarch
  3. game — wild animals
  4. foot — a measure
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. last — to go on
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. chair — a leader
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. stand — to bear
  12. march — the month
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. game — a match
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. march — music
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. last — finally
  24. last — final

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