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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. present — there
  3. chest — of your body
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. club — a group
  6. chest — of your body
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. club — for golf
  13. mark — a grade
  14. present — the time now
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a trace
  17. chest — a box
  18. present — a gift
  19. club — for dancing
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — in sport
  24. ruler — for measuring

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