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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. spring — a coil
  4. suit — in cards
  5. fine — high quality
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spring — the season
  10. suit — clothes
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. suit — to fit
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. spring — of water
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. chair — a leader
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. sharp — clever
  23. fine — all right
  24. sharp — with an edge

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