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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. scale — size or range
  3. scale — in music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. dip — to sink
  7. file — a document
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. snap — to click
  13. foot — a measure
  14. current — happening now
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. current — electric
  17. deal — to handle
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. file — a line of people
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. file — a tool
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. deal — an agreement

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