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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rock — music
  3. chair — a leader
  4. roll — a cake
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — farmland
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a list
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. season — in sport
  17. field — a subject
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. craft — boats
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — to recline
  22. craft — a skill
  23. season — of the year
  24. craft — a handicraft

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