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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. drill — the tool
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. ground — a position
  18. drill — army training
  19. bark — to shout
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. drill — a practice
  24. mouse — the animal

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