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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: current · chair · rest · fine · season · shower · march · pit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. march — the month
  5. chair — a leader
  6. shower — rain
  7. rest — what's left
  8. march — the month
  9. fine — high quality
  10. march — music
  11. fine — all right
  12. pit — a hole
  13. current — happening now
  14. current — electric
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. current — of water
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rest — a break
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — in a race
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — to wash
  24. rest — what's left

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