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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. club — for dancing
  8. content — happy
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. rest — what's left
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. club — a group
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — the amount
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. club — for golf
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. sharp — exactly

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