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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. pit — in a race
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. scale — in music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. pit — a hole
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. bark — to shout
  16. scale — size or range
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. toast — bread
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. chair — a leader

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