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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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. firm — steady
  3. content — the amount
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. firm — a company
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. swing — music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. swing — to play on
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. staff — employees
  13. rest — a break
  14. content — happy
  15. key — in music
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — a stick
  18. swing — in golf
  19. firm — decided
  20. key — the most important part
  21. rest — what's left
  22. key — for a lock
  23. staff — employees
  24. chair — a professorship

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