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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. staff — employees
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. band — a ring
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. staff — employees
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. deal — to handle
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bat — the animal
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. perch — the fish
  20. band — a music group
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. staff — a stick
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. chair — to sit on

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