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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mug — a cup
  5. stand — to bear
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — a face
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. prune — to trim
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mug — to rob
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. bear — the animal
  20. chip — for betting
  21. prune — to trim
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. chip — in a computer

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