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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. track — a song
  9. content — happy
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. content — the amount
  12. track — to keep track
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. saw — the tool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. row — to paddle
  22. row — a line
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. track — a path

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