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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. tube — the underground
  4. bank — for money
  5. scale — in music
  6. wind — moving air
  7. bank — of a river
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — of the year
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. scale — size or range
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. wind — moving air
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. season — in sport
  22. tube — a container
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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