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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. chest — of your body
  4. branch — a division
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. chair — a leader
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. chest — a box
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. game — a match
  20. stand — to bear
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. game — wild animals
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. mark — a trace

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