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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. chair — a leader
  4. squash — the sport
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. object — to protest
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. object — a thing
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. present — a gift
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mark — a grade
  16. present — there
  17. mark — a trace
  18. object — an aim
  19. present — the time now
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. squash — to crush
  23. sharp — clever
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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