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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. branch — of a tree
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. band — a music group
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. ball — a dance
  9. club — a group
  10. band — a ring
  11. branch — a division
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. club — for dancing
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. club — for golf
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. chair — a leader
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. coach — a trainer

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