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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. chair — a leader
  3. board — to get on
  4. track — a path
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. row — to paddle
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. track — a song
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — the tool
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. row — a line
  17. drill — a practice
  18. track — to keep track
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. board — a committee
  21. fine — all right
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. fine — a penalty

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