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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. wake — a trail
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. roll — a cake
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. cap — a lid
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. land — a country
  10. squash — the sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — ground
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. chair — a leader
  16. firm — decided
  17. cap — of ice
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. firm — steady
  22. roll — a list
  23. cap — a hat
  24. squash — to crush

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