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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
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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: pit · roll · chair · lean · staff · deal · squash · pitcher

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. chair — a leader
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. roll — a list
  5. staff — employees
  6. pit — a hole
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. staff — employees
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. staff — a stick
  20. squash — the sport
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. squash — to crush

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