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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: hand · pit · chair · staff · cue · club · rash · season

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. club — for golf
  5. season — of the year
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. pit — a hole
  9. staff — employees
  10. hand — in cards
  11. club — for dancing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cue — a signal
  14. rash — a series
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. season — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. rash — hasty
  19. cue — for pool
  20. cue — a hint
  21. hand — help
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. club — a group
  24. chair — a leader

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