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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 116 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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cell — in biology
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. bore — to tire
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. tube — a container
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. content — happy
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. rock — music
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. tube — the underground
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. bore — to drill
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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