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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. season — of the year
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. season — in sport
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. drill — the tool
  8. suit — in cards
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. drill — army training
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. chair — a leader
  16. drill — a practice
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. stem — to come from
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. staff — employees
  24. suit — to fit

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