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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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. can — a tin
  8. saw — the tool
  9. chair — a leader
  10. board — a committee
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. can — a tin
  15. board — to get on
  16. capital — a city
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. pit — in a race
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. wake — a trail

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