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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mate — a partner
  3. march — the month
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. season — in sport
  6. mate — to breed
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. mate — a friend
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. prune — to trim
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. toast — bread
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. rush — hurry
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. season — of the year
  23. march — music
  24. chair — to sit on

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