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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. chair — a leader
  4. mark — a grade
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. land — to come down
  7. bore — to tire
  8. land — a country
  9. bank — of a river
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. mark — a trace
  12. bank — for money
  13. land — ground
  14. scale — in music
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bank — for money
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. scale — size or range
  19. squash — to crush
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. squash — the sport
  24. bore — to drill

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