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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. bound — tied together
  3. staff — employees
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. staff — employees
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. staff — a stick
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bound — certain
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — to play on
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. branch — a division
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. chair — a leader
  20. swing — in golf
  21. bound — obliged
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chair — to sit on

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