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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. bank — for money
  3. stand — to bear
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. rock — music
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. bank — of a river
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fine — high quality
  13. shower — rain
  14. root — of a plant
  15. bank — for money
  16. root — the cause
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. root — of a word
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. fine — all right

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