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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. mug — a cup
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. suit — clothes
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mug — a face
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rest — a break
  22. rest — what's left
  23. fork — in a road
  24. suit — in cards

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