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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. tube — the underground
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. court — for sport
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. fork — in a road
  12. tube — a container
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of a king

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