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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spell — a short time
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. fine — all right
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. spell — letters
  10. chair — a leader
  11. season — in sport
  12. season — of the year
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — magic
  16. fine — high quality
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. snap — to click
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. mouse — the animal

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