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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. rock — music
  3. staff — employees
  4. present — there
  5. pitch — completely
  6. chair — a leader
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. spell — letters
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. spell — a short time
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. spell — magic
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. staff — a stick
  17. kid — to tease
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. present — the time now
  22. kid — child
  23. present — a gift
  24. staff — employees

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