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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: track · rush · can · fan · chair · bay · spell · pitcher

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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. spell — magic
  4. rush — hurry
  5. track — to keep track
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. track — a song
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. can — a tin
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. can — a tin
  20. track — a path
  21. spell — letters
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. can — to be able to
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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