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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. shower — rain
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. rest — a break
  5. shower — to wash
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — what's left
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. club — for golf
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pass — a permit
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. capital — money
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. club — for dancing
  19. chair — a leader
  20. toast — bread
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. capital — a city
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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