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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chair — a leader
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — for pool
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. roll — a cake
  11. cue — a hint
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — to come from
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. toast — bread
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. fine — high quality
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. roll — a list
  23. sharp — clever
  24. fine — all right

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