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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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. fine — all right
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mate — a friend
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. branch — a division
  12. bound — tied together
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bound — certain
  16. suit — clothes
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. suit — in cards
  24. mate — a partner

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