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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.

Make a worksheet

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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. scale — in music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. toast — bread
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. scale — size or range
  10. band — a ring
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. bound — tied together
  14. bound — obliged
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — to push
  21. chair — a leader
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bound — certain
  24. band — a music group

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