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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. squash — to crush
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — boats
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. stem — to come from
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a committee
  12. can — to be able to
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. board — to get on
  15. can — a tin
  16. squash — the sport
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. chair — a leader
  20. craft — a skill
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. can — a tin
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. craft — a handicraft

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