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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. pit — a hole
  6. scale — size or range
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. pit — in a race
  13. suit — to fit
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. suit — in cards
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. court — of law
  18. court — for sport
  19. court — of a king
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. scale — in music
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chair — a leader

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