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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. chair — a leader
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. row — a line
  6. drill — the tool
  7. track — a path
  8. drill — army training
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. firm — a company
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. track — to keep track
  14. cap — a lid
  15. row — to paddle
  16. firm — steady
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. firm — decided
  19. drill — a practice
  20. ball — a dance
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. ball — a great time
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. track — a song

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