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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ________________ took off on time.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. march — the month
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. foot — a measure
  6. season — in sport
  7. hand — in cards
  8. key — the most important part
  9. plane — a tool
  10. chair — a leader
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. hand — help
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. march — the month
  18. plane — an aircraft
  19. key — in music
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. key — for a lock
  22. fine — high quality
  23. march — music
  24. fine — all right

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