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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. craft — boats
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. saw — the tool
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. craft — a skill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. chair — a leader
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pit — in a race
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. pit — a hole

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