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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  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. chair — a professorship
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. wake — a trail
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. pound — a weight
  10. firm — steady
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — to tease
  14. chair — a leader
  15. kid — child
  16. rock — music
  17. firm — decided
  18. mug — a face
  19. fork — in a road
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. mug — a cup
  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