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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: chair · pitcher · rock · suit · stand · object · pass · row

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. suit — clothes
  3. rock — music
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. object — a thing
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. object — an aim
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. stand — to bear
  11. row — a line
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. object — to protest
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. suit — in cards
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. pass — a permit
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. rock — a stone
  23. row — to paddle
  24. suit — to fit

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