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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. pound — a weight
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. scale — size or range
  10. chip — for betting
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. tear — to rip
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. tear — from crying
  16. chip — to eat
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — a division
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. tear — from crying
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. chair — a leader
  24. scale — in music

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