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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. land — to come down
  4. pit — a hole
  5. chair — a leader
  6. current — electric
  7. pit — in a race
  8. game — wild animals
  9. land — a country
  10. suit — to fit
  11. foot — a measure
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. land — ground
  14. game — a match
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. current — happening now
  18. suit — clothes
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. current — of water
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. suit — in cards

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