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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. wind — moving air
  3. craft — a skill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. cue — a hint
  6. cap — a hat
  7. present — there
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cue — a signal
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. cap — of ice
  12. wind — moving air
  13. present — the time now
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. craft — boats
  16. present — a gift
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. ball — a dance
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. ball — a great time

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