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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: jam · leaves · patient · rock · firm · bat · chair · toast

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. firm — steady
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. chair — a leader
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bat — the animal
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. firm — a company
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. toast — bread
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — decided
  23. rock — a stone
  24. rock — music

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