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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 would like to have a ________________ here.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — a break
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. chair — a leader
  4. club — for golf
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. drill — the tool
  9. pound — a weight
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. drill — a practice
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spell — magic
  15. club — a group
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. rest — what's left
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. spell — letters
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mate — to breed
  23. drill — army training
  24. chair — a professorship

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