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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. club — for golf
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. swing — music
  9. club — for dancing
  10. swing — to play on
  11. bear — the animal
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. rush — hurry
  14. swing — in golf
  15. club — a group
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. bear — the animal
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. jam — in traffic

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