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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. present — the time now
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. club — a group
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. cap — a hat
  8. game — wild animals
  9. object — to protest
  10. firm — decided
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. club — for golf
  13. cap — of ice
  14. sharp — clever
  15. object — a thing
  16. firm — a company
  17. chair — a leader
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. object — an aim
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. cap — a lid
  24. firm — steady

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