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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. pop — to visit
  5. race — a contest
  6. pop — music
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. race — the arms race
  10. key — in music
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. fork — in a road
  15. key — the most important part
  16. foot — a measure
  17. ball — a great time
  18. key — for a lock
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pop — soda
  22. fine — all right
  23. fine — high quality
  24. race — humankind

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