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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: arm · ground · suit · pit · chair · stand · squash · patient

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. squash — to crush
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a leader
  6. suit — clothes
  7. suit — in cards
  8. ground — crushed
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. suit — to fit
  12. stand — to bear
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. ground — the earth
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. squash — the sport
  22. pit — in a race
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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