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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. mate — a friend
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. chair — a leader
  6. mate — to breed
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. toast — bread
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. object — an aim
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. season — in sport
  16. deal — to handle
  17. object — to protest
  18. stand — to bear
  19. object — a thing
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bore — to tire
  23. bore — to drill
  24. mate — a partner

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