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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. suit — to fit
  6. root — of a plant
  7. pit — in a race
  8. race — humankind
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. pit — a hole
  12. suit — clothes
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a word
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. root — the cause
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. suit — in cards

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