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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. club — for dancing
  4. present — the time now
  5. club — a group
  6. fall — to drop
  7. firm — decided
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. last — final
  10. firm — a company
  11. last — finally
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. present — there
  17. bark — to shout
  18. firm — steady
  19. club — for golf
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fall — the season
  22. last — to go on
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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