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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. chair — a leader
  3. toast — bread
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. firm — decided
  10. cap — a lid
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. cap — of ice
  13. present — the time now
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — there
  16. tube — the underground
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. present — a gift
  19. cap — a hat
  20. firm — steady
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. tube — a container
  23. pound — a weight
  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