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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. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. branch — a division
  2. staff — employees
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. staff — employees
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. staff — a stick
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. land — ground
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. chair — a leader
  12. swing — in golf
  13. land — a country
  14. swing — music
  15. tube — the underground
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — to play on
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. land — to come down
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. suit — clothes
  22. tube — a container
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. suit — to fit

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