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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 116 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. spell — magic
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spell — a short time
  8. squash — to crush
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. can — a tin
  11. current — happening now
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. squash — the sport
  16. present — a gift
  17. can — to be able to
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. spell — letters
  21. present — there
  22. can — a tin
  23. present — the time now
  24. bowl — to roll

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