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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: chair · fall · pit · content · cabinet · ruler · bear · season

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. season — in sport
  6. season — of the year
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bear — the animal
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. fall — the season
  14. pit — a hole
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — to drop
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ruler — a monarch

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