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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. stand — to bear
  5. mug — a cup
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. club — for dancing
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. mug — a face
  13. mug — to rob
  14. club — a group
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. craft — a skill
  19. dip — to sink
  20. chair — a leader
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for golf

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