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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pound — a weight
  3. fine — high quality
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. rash — a series
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. toast — bread
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stem — to come from
  12. fine — all right
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. rash — hasty
  24. fine — a penalty

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