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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. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bound — tied together
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. kid — child
  5. mark — a grade
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. mark — a trace
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rest — what's left
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rest — a break
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kid — to tease
  17. bound — certain
  18. ball — a dance
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. rest — what's left
  21. ball — a great time
  22. chair — a leader
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. perch — the fish

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