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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. spring — a coil
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. present — there
  9. spring — of water
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. present — the time now
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. chair — a leader
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. rush — hurry
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. spring — the season
  24. present — a gift

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