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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. file — a document
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chair — a leader
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. sharp — clever
  7. can — a tin
  8. pop — soda
  9. can — a tin
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pound — a weight
  12. file — a tool
  13. can — to be able to
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. file — a line of people
  18. key — for a lock
  19. pop — music
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. key — in music

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