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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 120 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. hand — in cards
  4. march — music
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a leader
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. march — the month
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. hand — help
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rock — a stone
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rock — music
  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