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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. court — of law
  5. rash — a series
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cap — of ice
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rock — a stone
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rash — hasty
  15. court — for sport
  16. bore — to tire
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bore — to drill
  19. cap — a hat
  20. court — of a king
  21. chair — a leader
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. rock — music
  24. toast — bread

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