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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — to sink
  5. fine — all right
  6. chest — of your body
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. chest — a box
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. mate — to breed
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. toast — bread
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. mate — a friend
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. fine — high quality
  17. mate — a partner
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pitcher — a jug

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