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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. bound — tied together
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. net — after costs
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bound — obliged
  11. net — for catching
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. mark — a trace
  14. net — in sport
  15. bound — certain
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. mark — a grade
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — there
  24. chair — a leader

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