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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. chair — a leader
  3. track — a path
  4. present — a gift
  5. chip — to eat
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — in cards
  8. present — there
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. chip — for betting
  12. fall — the season
  13. present — the time now
  14. branch — of a bank
  15. suit — clothes
  16. track — a song
  17. branch — a division
  18. fall — to drop
  19. track — to keep track
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. fall — to drop
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. toast — bread
  24. chair — to sit on

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