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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pitch — completely
  4. capital — money
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. deal — to handle
  8. can — to be able to
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. squash — to crush
  12. can — a tin
  13. object — to protest
  14. date — the fruit
  15. capital — a city
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. squash — the sport
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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