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

Word bank: last · pit · cue · firm · chair · board · saw · pop

  1. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pop — music
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. last — finally
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. chair — a leader
  8. pit — in a race
  9. saw — the tool
  10. cue — for pool
  11. board — a committee
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. firm — decided
  14. board — to get on
  15. pit — a hole
  16. pop — to visit
  17. last — final
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. cue — a signal
  20. firm — steady
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — to go on
  23. cue — a hint
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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