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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rock — music
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. rock — a stone
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. bound — tied together
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. rule — government
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bound — obliged
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. rule — a law

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