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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. cap — a lid
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. cap — a hat
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. deal — to handle
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. cap — of ice
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pass — a permit
  20. sharp — clever
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — with an edge

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