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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bark — to shout
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. chair — a leader
  5. staff — a stick
  6. staff — employees
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. toast — bread
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stem — to come from
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. staff — employees
  23. chip — to eat
  24. craft — boats

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