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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 116 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. suit — in cards
  5. content — happy
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. content — the amount
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. rock — music
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. suit — to fit
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. perch — the fish
  18. present — the time now
  19. suit — clothes
  20. present — a gift
  21. wax — to grow
  22. present — there
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rock — a stone

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