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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. fall — the season
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. branch — a division
  7. chair — a leader
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. can — to be able to
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stand — to bear
  14. scale — in music
  15. can — a tin
  16. fall — to drop
  17. rock — a stone
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — a hint
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. cue — for pool

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