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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. season — in sport
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. chair — a leader
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. saw — the tool
  8. scale — size or range
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. date — the fruit
  15. season — of the year
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — in music
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. date — on the calendar

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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