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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. rash — hasty
  4. degree — an amount
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. roll — a cake
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. suit — in cards
  10. shower — rain
  11. toast — bread
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. chair — a leader
  16. roll — a list
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rash — a series
  20. degree — from a university
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — to fit
  24. degree — temperature

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