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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. suit — clothes
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. pass — a permit
  8. stand — to bear
  9. chair — a leader
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. suit — in cards
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. suit — to fit
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. stand — for spectators

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