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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 116 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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. spell — letters
  8. squash — the sport
  9. firm — decided
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. club — for dancing
  12. firm — steady
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. firm — a company
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. club — for golf
  17. squash — to crush
  18. spell — magic

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