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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. chair — a leader
  2. club — for dancing
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. mug — a face
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cap — of ice
  8. net — after costs
  9. mug — a cup
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pass — a permit
  15. net — for catching
  16. mug — to rob
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. club — a group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. net — in sport
  23. club — for golf
  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