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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. present — there
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — letters
  6. chair — a leader
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — the time now
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. field — farmland
  12. current — electric
  13. field — a subject
  14. stand — to bear
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. spell — a short time
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. field — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. present — a gift
  24. toast — bread

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