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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. rock — a stone
  10. present — the time now
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. chair — a leader
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pit — a hole
  16. spell — magic
  17. lean — to bend
  18. scale — in music
  19. rock — music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. present — a gift
  22. spell — letters
  23. lean — thin
  24. present — there

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