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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. staff — a stick
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. row — a line
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. cap — a hat
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. staff — employees
  13. mate — a friend
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. cap — of ice
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. cap — a lid
  18. date — the fruit
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bound — certain
  21. staff — employees
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a partner
  24. chair — a professorship

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