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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 116 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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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. stand — to bear
  4. last — finally
  5. band — a ring
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. last — final
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. band — a music group
  16. chair — a leader
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. last — to go on
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. can — a tin
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — hurry
  24. snap — to click

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