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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 116 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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. march — music
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. mine — for digging
  6. bear — the animal
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. kick — in football
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. chair — a leader
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rock — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mark — a grade

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