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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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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: hide · present · chair · wake · ruler · ground · pit · current

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. present — there
  5. pit — a hole
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. current — happening now
  8. ground — a position
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. wake — a trail
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pit — in a race
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — a leader
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. ground — the earth
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. current — of water
  22. current — electric
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. ground — crushed

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