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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. ground — the earth
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. pop — music
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. roll — a cake
  10. ground — crushed
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. pop — to visit
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. pop — soda
  16. roll — a list
  17. ground — a position
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. rash — a series
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. chair — a leader
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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