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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. ground — the earth
  3. row — a line
  4. pit — in a race
  5. chair — a leader
  6. row — to paddle
  7. club — for golf
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. club — for dancing
  10. ground — crushed
  11. ground — a position
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. club — a group
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. swing — music
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pit — a hole
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. swing — in golf

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