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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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. deal — to handle
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. current — happening now
  8. spring — a coil
  9. chair — a leader
  10. shower — rain
  11. current — electric
  12. fine — high quality
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. spring — the season
  15. fine — all right
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — of water
  21. spring — of water
  22. toast — bread
  23. shower — to wash
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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