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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. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. squash — the sport
  3. game — wild animals
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. field — farmland
  7. bulb — for light
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cue — a signal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. cue — a hint
  15. stand — to bear
  16. bulb — for light
  17. game — a match
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. field — a subject
  21. cue — for pool
  22. squash — to crush
  23. field — for sport
  24. chair — a leader

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