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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pass — a permit
  3. chip — to eat
  4. chair — a leader
  5. fine — all right
  6. rash — a series
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pound — a weight
  10. chip — for betting
  11. rash — hasty
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pass — to succeed

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