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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. shower — to wash
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. suit — clothes
  6. cap — of ice
  7. scale — in music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. chair — a leader
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pit — a hole
  13. suit — in cards
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. suit — to fit
  17. scale — size or range
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pound — a weight
  20. cap — a lid
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. cap — a hat
  24. pit — in a race

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