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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. band — a music group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. tube — a container
  7. chair — a leader
  8. club — for dancing
  9. file — a tool
  10. club — a group
  11. file — a document
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. suit — in cards
  14. band — a ring
  15. club — for golf
  16. tube — the underground
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. suit — clothes
  20. vault — a safe
  21. suit — to fit
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. file — a line of people
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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