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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. date — the fruit
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — rain
  17. squash — the sport
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. chair — a leader
  21. squash — to crush
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. toast — bread
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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