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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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. chair — a leader
  4. firm — a company
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. bound — obliged
  7. bound — certain
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. fine — all right
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. fine — high quality
  12. firm — steady
  13. bear — the animal
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. bound — tied together
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. fine — a penalty

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