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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. present — a gift
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. firm — decided
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. cap — a lid
  8. stock — shares
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. firm — steady
  12. cap — of ice
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — goods
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a leader
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. ball — a dance
  21. staff — a stick
  22. ball — a great time
  23. staff — employees
  24. firm — a company

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