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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. branch — a division
  7. mug — a face
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. track — a song
  10. mug — to rob
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — hasty
  13. mug — a cup
  14. rash — a series
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. chair — a leader
  17. track — a path
  18. track — to keep track
  19. object — to protest
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. toast — bread
  23. object — an aim
  24. object — a thing

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