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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: dip · field · stand · last · cue · chair · capital · chest

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. cue — for pool
  6. dip — to sink
  7. field — farmland
  8. chair — a leader
  9. field — a subject
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. stand — to bear
  12. last — to go on
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. capital — money
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. cue — a signal
  20. capital — a city
  21. field — for sport
  22. last — final
  23. last — finally
  24. cue — a hint

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