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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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. ball — a dance
  4. chair — a leader
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. ball — a great time
  9. pass — a permit
  10. pop — to visit
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. wound — an injury
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pop — soda
  18. fork — in a road
  19. fine — all right
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pop — music
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. deal — to handle

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