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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. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a list
  2. season — in sport
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. roll — a cake
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. mate — a partner
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. mate — a friend
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. net — for catching
  17. mate — to breed
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. season — of the year
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. net — after costs
  23. chair — a leader
  24. net — in sport

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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