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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 124 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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. chair — a leader
  6. ground — the earth
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ground — crushed
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. season — of the year
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. present — the time now
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — a gift
  16. degree — temperature
  17. present — there
  18. season — in sport
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. degree — an amount
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. chair — to sit on

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