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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.

Make a worksheet

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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. chair — a leader
  4. march — the month
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. squash — the sport
  7. object — an aim
  8. track — a path
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. march — music
  11. object — to protest
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. date — the fruit
  14. track — to keep track
  15. squash — to crush
  16. object — a thing
  17. saw — the tool
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. track — a song
  20. saw — the tool
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — a professorship

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