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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. firm — steady
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. squash — to crush
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. firm — a company
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. season — in sport
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. bat — the animal
  15. chair — a leader
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. season — of the year
  19. mine — for digging
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. squash — the sport
  22. rock — music
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. firm — decided

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