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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. rest — a break
  5. sharp — clever
  6. field — for sport
  7. chair — a leader
  8. field — a subject
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — a trail
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. mine — for digging
  19. field — farmland
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. rest — what's left
  23. firm — decided
  24. sharp — with an edge

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