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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. suit — in cards
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. stem — to come from
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. track — a song
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — to get on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. suit — clothes
  21. board — a committee
  22. pound — a weight
  23. suit — to fit
  24. jam — to spread on 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