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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. club — a group
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. club — for dancing
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitch — completely
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fork — in a road
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. club — for golf
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. temple — a place of worship

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