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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 120 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. face — to confront
  5. rock — a stone
  6. season — of the year
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. rush — hurry
  10. capital — a city
  11. face — to point toward
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rock — music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. capital — money
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. face — part of the head
  22. suit — in cards
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. rush — a thrill

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