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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. cue — a signal
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. cue — a hint
  8. sharp — clever
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. charge — a price
  13. charge — electricity
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chair — a leader
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. rest — a break
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. charge — in control
  22. rest — what's left
  23. cue — for pool
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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