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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  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. rest — what's left
  2. march — the month
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. rest — a break
  6. swing — to play on
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. march — music
  10. spring — of water
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. rest — what's left
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. swing — music
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. spring — a coil
  17. pit — in a race
  18. stand — to bear
  19. spring — the season
  20. march — the month
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. swing — in golf
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  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