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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. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. date — the fruit
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. shower — rain
  5. march — music
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. shower — to wash
  15. pit — a hole
  16. ball — a dance
  17. march — the month
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. march — the month
  20. season — of the year
  21. pit — in a race
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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