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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. race — humankind
  4. march — the month
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — shares
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. march — music
  11. date — the fruit
  12. present — the time now
  13. present — there
  14. stock — goods
  15. race — the arms race
  16. march — the month
  17. chair — a leader
  18. race — a contest
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stand — to bear
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. present — a gift

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