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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 116 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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. mark — a grade
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — of ice
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. rock — music
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cap — a lid
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. mark — a trace
  22. rock — a stone
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. file — a tool

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