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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. object — to protest
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. scale — in music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. root — of a word
  8. root — of a plant
  9. staff — employees
  10. saw — the tool
  11. object — a thing
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. staff — a stick
  14. mark — a grade
  15. object — an aim
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. saw — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. root — the cause
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — a group
  23. scale — size or range
  24. club — for dancing

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