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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. mate — a friend
  8. club — for dancing
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. mate — a partner
  17. club — a group
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. can — a tin
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. mate — to breed

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