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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. toast — bread
  3. toast — a drink to someone
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. degree — from a university
  6. chair — a leader
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. dip — to sink
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. degree — temperature
  22. deal — to handle
  23. degree — an amount
  24. deal — a big deal

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