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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  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. fall — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a leader
  5. net — for catching
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — to drop
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. present — there
  12. content — happy
  13. present — the time now
  14. club — for dancing
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. net — in sport
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. present — a gift
  19. net — after costs
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. club — for golf
  22. content — the amount
  23. club — a group
  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