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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. mine — for digging
  5. ball — a great time
  6. current — electric
  7. present — there
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. squash — to crush
  11. current — happening now
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. present — a gift
  14. current — of water
  15. ball — a dance
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. pass — a permit
  20. squash — the sport
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. present — the time now
  24. lie — to recline

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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