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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. pit — a hole
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pit — in a race
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. cap — of ice
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. firm — decided
  14. firm — steady
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cap — a hat
  19. squash — the sport
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — a division
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. firm — a company
  24. squash — to crush

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