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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. track — to keep track
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — the time now
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. present — there
  10. lean — thin
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. lean — to bend
  13. pitch — completely
  14. can — to be able to
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. track — a path
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a song
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chair — a leader
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — hurry
  24. row — a quarrel

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