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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.

Make a worksheet

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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. cue — a signal
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. present — the time now
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. present — there
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. cue — for pool
  14. craft — boats
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. cue — a hint
  17. craft — a skill
  18. present — a gift

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