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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. net — after costs
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. net — in sport
  6. spring — of water
  7. present — there
  8. present — a gift
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chair — a leader
  16. toast — bread
  17. present — the time now
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. spring — the season
  22. net — for catching
  23. bore — to drill
  24. toast — the most admired

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