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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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. rock — music
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. chair — a leader
  7. row — to paddle
  8. object — an aim
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. key — for a lock
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. row — a line
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rock — a stone
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. object — to protest
  21. object — a thing
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. key — the most important part

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