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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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. The water is too ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. craft — a skill
  3. roll — a list
  4. rule — a law
  5. chair — to sit on
  6. roll — a cake
  7. cold — not warm
  8. rule — government
  9. suit — to fit
  10. pit — in a race
  11. suit — in cards
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — in football
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. chair — a leader
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. craft — boats
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. cold — an illness
  23. pit — a hole
  24. suit — clothes

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