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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 120 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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. squash — to crush
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. current — happening now
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. chair — a leader
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. current — electric
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — to wash
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. current — of water
  23. shower — rain
  24. pitch — completely

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