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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. track — to keep track
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. key — for a lock
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. club — for golf
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. scale — size or range
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. club — a group
  11. stand — to bear
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — in music
  15. key — in music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitch — completely
  19. key — the most important part
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. track — a path

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