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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. degree — temperature
  4. ball — a great time
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. degree — an amount
  7. tube — the underground
  8. content — happy
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. tube — a container
  14. ball — a dance
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. content — the amount
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. degree — from a university
  24. hide — to keep secret

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