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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. row — to paddle
  4. key — in music
  5. row — a line
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. kid — to tease
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kid — child
  10. key — for a lock
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. key — the most important part
  13. date — the fruit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. fine — high quality
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. firm — steady
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chair — a leader
  21. firm — decided
  22. firm — a company
  23. rash — a series
  24. fine — all right

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