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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. march — music
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. foot — a measure
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. toast — bread
  17. march — the month
  18. branch — a division
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. date — the fruit
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. date — on the calendar

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