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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.

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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rest — what's left
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. fork — in a road
  10. mark — a grade
  11. game — wild animals
  12. mark — a trace
  13. game — a match
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. chair — a leader
  18. rest — a break

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