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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chair — a leader
  4. face — to point toward
  5. present — a gift
  6. march — the month
  7. cue — for pool
  8. march — music
  9. root — of a word
  10. face — part of the head
  11. present — the time now
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cue — a signal
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. root — the cause
  17. wind — moving air
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. cue — a hint
  20. face — to confront
  21. march — the month
  22. present — there
  23. root — of a plant
  24. wind — moving air

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