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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. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. squash — to crush
  3. craft — a skill
  4. craft — boats
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. suit — in cards
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. suit — to fit
  9. squash — the sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. suit — clothes
  13. hand — help
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. firm — decided
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. sharp — clever
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. firm — steady
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. firm — a company
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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