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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 quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. sharp — clever
  3. staff — a stick
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. staff — employees
  6. key — for a lock
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. squash — to crush
  12. craft — a skill
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. season — of the year
  15. key — the most important part
  16. season — in sport
  17. craft — boats
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. chair — a leader
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. key — in music
  23. staff — employees
  24. squash — the sport

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