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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. present — a gift
  2. cold — not warm
  3. mug — a cup
  4. mug — a face
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. court — of law
  8. present — the time now
  9. mug — to rob
  10. present — there
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. suit — clothes
  14. cold — an illness
  15. suit — to fit
  16. suit — in cards
  17. court — for sport
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. chair — a leader
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. court — of a king
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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