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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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. key — in music
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. pop — soda
  6. face — to confront
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mark — a grade
  13. mark — a trace
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. rule — a law
  16. face — to point toward
  17. face — part of the head
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pop — to visit
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rule — government
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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