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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bear — the animal
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. season — in sport
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. lean — thin
  11. season — of the year
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. lean — to bend
  24. jam — a tight spot

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