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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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pass — to spend time
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. degree — an amount
  5. drill — army training
  6. season — of the year
  7. drill — the tool
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. pass — a permit
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. branch — a division
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — in sport
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. drill — a practice
  20. degree — temperature
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. degree — from a university
  24. nail — for a hammer

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