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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. club — a group
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. rash — a series
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. track — a path
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. sharp — clever
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. track — a song
  14. chair — a leader
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. track — to keep track
  21. rash — hasty
  22. saw — the tool
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for dancing

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