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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  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. fine — high quality
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. sharp — clever
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. rule — a law
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. content — happy
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. fine — all right
  16. stem — to come from
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. content — the amount
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. rule — government
  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