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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. season — in sport
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. key — for a lock
  6. toast — bread
  7. bat — the animal
  8. fine — high quality
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. pound — a weight
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. fine — all right
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. season — of the year
  20. key — in music
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. chair — a leader

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