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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pop — music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. ground — a position
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pop — soda
  14. ground — the earth
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a great time
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — to visit
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — hurry
  24. leaves — to go away

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