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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. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. present — a gift
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. present — there
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chair — a leader
  16. date — the fruit
  17. kid — child
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. kid — to tease
  24. present — the time now

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