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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — to handle
  4. present — a gift
  5. land — a country
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — electric
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. foot — a measure
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. land — to come down
  14. current — of water
  15. present — the time now
  16. drill — a practice
  17. drill — army training
  18. chair — a leader
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. land — ground
  22. present — there
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

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