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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. squash — the sport
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. prune — to trim
  12. chair — a leader
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pass — a permit
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. prune — to trim
  18. sharp — with an edge

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