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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. chair — a leader
  3. suit — clothes
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. prune — to trim
  7. key — in music
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. squash — the sport
  11. key — the most important part
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. key — for a lock
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. suit — to fit
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. squash — to crush
  24. prune — to trim

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