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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. can — a tin
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. can — a tin
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bark — to shout
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. saw — the tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. track — to keep track
  18. saw — the tool
  19. track — a path
  20. shower — rain
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. date — the fruit
  23. can — to be able to
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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