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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: saw · chair · wound · rush · stand · court · chip · pit

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. wound — an injury
  3. saw — the tool
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. wound — an injury
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. court — for sport
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. saw — the tool
  12. stand — to bear
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chip — to eat
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — of a king
  18. pit — a hole
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. chair — a leader
  24. court — of law

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