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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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. mug — a face
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — a leader
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mug — to rob
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bore — to drill
  10. court — for sport
  11. court — of law
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. last — to go on
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. fine — high quality
  20. court — of a king
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. stem — to come from
  23. last — final
  24. chair — a professorship

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