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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 hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. saw — the tool
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. current — electric
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. swing — music
  19. rule — government
  20. swing — in golf
  21. saw — the tool
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. rule — a law
  24. stand — to bear

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