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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  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 professorship
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. chest — a box
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rash — a series
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pound — a weight
  15. rest — what's left
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rest — a break
  19. rash — hasty
  20. rest — what's left
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. chest — of your body
  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