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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — a gift
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bank — of a river
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. present — there
  10. scale — in music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bank — for money
  13. fall — to drop
  14. kick — in football
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. scale — size or range
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. fall — the season
  19. present — the time now
  20. toast — bread
  21. bank — for money
  22. fall — to drop
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. kick — with a leg

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