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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a music group
  4. present — there
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — temperature
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. squash — the sport
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. degree — an amount
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. squash — to crush
  22. present — a gift
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. chair — a leader

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