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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 120 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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. current — happening now
  6. file — a document
  7. current — electric
  8. scale — size or range
  9. scale — in music
  10. mug — to rob
  11. chair — a leader
  12. mug — a face
  13. file — a line of people
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. pound — a weight
  17. swing — in golf
  18. file — a tool
  19. current — of water
  20. mug — a cup
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. swing — music
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. swing — to play 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