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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: date · chair · cabinet · mate · rock · rule · squash · saw

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. saw — the tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. rock — a stone
  7. chair — a leader
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rule — government
  11. squash — to crush
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mate — to breed
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. rule — a law
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. mate — a friend
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. rock — music
  24. squash — the sport

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