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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: cue · stand · foot · drill · lean · chair · pit · rush

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. lean — thin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. lean — to bend
  7. cue — a signal
  8. pit — a hole
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. pit — in a race
  14. drill — army training
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. foot — a measure
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. rush — hurry
  22. chair — a leader
  23. drill — the tool
  24. stand — to bear

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