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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — in sport
  3. deal — to handle
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. toast — bread
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wind — moving air
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. season — of the year
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. wind — moving air
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. ruler — a monarch

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