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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pop — music
  4. game — wild animals
  5. object — a thing
  6. spell — a short time
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. game — a match
  9. pit — in a race
  10. cue — a signal
  11. spell — letters
  12. cue — for pool
  13. pop — to visit
  14. object — to protest
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. lean — to bend
  17. pit — a hole
  18. spell — magic
  19. lean — thin
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pop — soda
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. chair — a leader
  24. object — an aim

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