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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 120 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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. suit — clothes
  4. squash — to crush
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. bound — certain
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bound — tied together
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stand — to bear
  14. foot — a measure
  15. bound — obliged
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. bat — the animal
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. suit — in cards
  20. squash — the sport
  21. suit — to fit
  22. chair — a leader
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. foot — the bottom

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